Vatican and Patriarchate of Constantinople announce Pope's visit to Turkey

Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Photo: romfea.gr

Pope Leo XIV will visit Turkey at the end of November to participate in the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, which took place in Nicaea (now Iznik) in 325. The visit will take place at the invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the head of the state of the Republic of Turkey. The visit of the pontiff was reported by the Greek agency Romfea and the website Vatican News.

As Romfea writes, the Ecumenical Patriarchate expressed joy about the upcoming visit, noting that it "emphasizes the aspiration for Christian unity and the strengthening of fraternal relations between Churches." According to their information, the central event will be the joint celebration of the anniversary of the Nicaean Council, which laid the foundations of Christian doctrine.

According to the Vatican News, the Pope's "Apostolic Journey" will begin on November 27 and last until November 30. The visit to Türkiye will include a pilgrimage to İznik on the occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.

The Greek media specifies that on November 29 and 30, the pontiff will arrive in Istanbul, where he will participate in the celebrations on the occasion of the feast day of the Constantinople Church - the day of remembrance of Saint Andrew the First-Called.

After completing the program in Turkey, the Pope will head to Lebanon, where the second part of his tour will take place from November 30 to December 2. The Vatican noted that a detailed schedule and itinerary of the trip "will be announced in due course".

As reported by the UOJ, the OCU criticized the Pope for his words about the war: "Looked smart while silent."

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