Pope Leo XIV The first foreign trip, to Türkiye and Lebanon, will be full of opportunities to strengthen relations with two of the Catholic Church’s most important priorities: Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
It will also highlight the first American pope in history to speak in broader terms about peace in the Middle East in languages that much of the world can understand: he will speak exclusively in English while in the United States. turkeyand a mixture of English and French in Lebanonin a departure from the traditional Italian language in the Vatican.
Security will be tight, especially after that Israel launched a raid on Beirut To target Hezbollah, a few days before Leo’s arrival.
Here’s a look at some of the highlights expected from November 27-December. 2- Visiting the two countries of the late Pope Francis He intended to visit but could not due to his deteriorating health.
Both Türkiye and Lebanon have received several popes, starting with Pope Paul VI, the first pope to travel internationally, indicating their importance to the Holy See.
For the Vatican, Lebanon and its tradition of religious tolerance in the Middle East are a bulwark for Christians in the region, especially after years of conflict and war have diminished Christian communities dating back to the time of the apostles.
Turkey, for its part, is the home of the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church and is therefore a crucial relationship that must be strengthened in the centuries-old quest for Christian unity.
Turkey is a rare country that, with Leo’s visit, can boast of having been visited by all five popes of the modern papacy: Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979 on one of the first trips of his papacy, Benedict XVI in 2006, and Francis in 2014.
Paul VI also visited Lebanon during a stop on his way to India in 1964, John Paul II visited Lebanon in 1997 and Benedict XVI in 2012, on the last foreign trip of his pontificate. Francis had tried for years to go, but instability in the country and then Francis’s deteriorating health prevented him from making a visit.
The main reason Liu traveled to Türkiye, the first stop, was to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of Council of NicaeaThe first ecumenical council in Christianity.
Leo will pray with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, at the site of the 325 AD meeting, Iznik today in northwestern Turkey, and sign a joint declaration in a clear sign of Christian unity.
The Eastern and Western Churches were united until the Great Schism of 1054, a schism that was largely precipitated by disputes over the primacy of the pope.
The Rev. Paolo Polisi, head of the Capuchin Catholic friars in Turkey, said commemorating the Council of Nicaea – which gave birth to the doctrine that Christians still recite today – would send a strong message of unity.
“What better opportunity than Nicaea to once again find our common identity,” he said.
Liu will also visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and chair an interfaith meeting in both Istanbul and Beirut. It is worth noting that he will not visit the teacher Hagia Sophia Monument In Istanbul, as previous popes did.
In July 2020, Türkiye turned Hagia Sophia – which was once one of the most important historical cathedrals in Christianity and a World Heritage Site designated by the United Nations – has been transformed from a museum into a mosque, a move that has drawn widespread international criticism. At the time, Francis said he was “I feel very hurt” by the decision.
Clerics in the region say the Vatican’s strong support for Palestinians in Gaza during the war between Israel and Hamas, first under Francis and now Leo, has strengthened the church’s credibility among Muslims.
Security measures are expected to be tight, as regional conflicts have not subsided. Israel launched an air strike on Lebanon Capital on Sunday who was killed Hezbollah Chief of Staff and four others.
Liu said this week that such attacks were “always a concern”, but he appealed to everyone to continue dialogue, not violence.
Monsignor Cesar Assien, Apostolic Vicar of Beirut for the Latin Catholic Rite, said Lebanon is the safest place in the region for Leo to visit and the ideal place for him to talk about peace.
He said about Lebanon: “He could not go to Gaza. There is no point in going to Israel now. The situation is very difficult in Syria. This is the only country.” “And here he is presented with exclusivity and this invitation that will allow him to go with a very strong message (peace) to the whole world.”
The highlight of the Lebanese visit will be Leo’s last day, December 2, when he will spend time in silent prayer at the church site. August 4, 2020, Beirut Port explosion.
The explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, killing at least 218 people, wounding more than 6,000 others and destroying large areas of Beirut.
Lebanese citizens were angry at the explosion that appeared to have occurred As a result of government negligenceIt comes on top of an economic crisis caused by decades of corruption and financial crimes. But the investigation was repeatedly stalled, and five years later, no official has been convicted.
Another important moment will come when Leo meets Lebanese youth. He is expected to offer them words of encouragement, amid the Lebanese fleeing abroad for decades, while also acknowledging their disappointment with the failures of the generations that preceded them.
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