Meeting with young people in Lebanon, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV urges them not to give into despair, rather to cultivate friendships rooted in genuine love and to keep the enthusiasm that is needed "to change the course of history."

By Kielce Gussie

For his last event on the first full day in Lebanon, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV met with young people in Bkerké, Lebanon. The event began with the testimonies of volunteers and young people, before two more asked the Holy Father questions.

In his speech, the Pope began by addressing those present with the “greeting of the Risen Jesus”, “assalamu alaikum” or peace be with you.

The enthusiasm they all feel, the Pope highlighted, “expresses God’s loving closeness, which brings us together as brothers and sisters to share our faith in him and our communion with one another.” Specifically, he welcomed the young people from Syria and Iraq as well as all the Lebanese who have returned from living abroad.

At an Ecumenical and Interreligious Encounter in Beirut, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV upholds the Catholic Church’s desire to foster dialogue inspired by divine love, so as to affirm the dignity of every human being.

By Devin Watkins

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV met with Christian and Interreligious Leaders at Martyr’s Square in Beirut on Monday, the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Lebanon.

The Pope in his address began by calling Lebanon a “blessed land, exalted by the prophets of the Old Testament, who beheld in its towering cedars emblems of the righteous soul that flourishes beneath heaven’s vigilant gaze.”

He recalled Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, signed in Beirut in 2012, which proclaimed the Church’s desire to dialogue with followers of other religions.

During a meeting with Bishops, Priests, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV highlights coexistence, education, and support for migrants as concrete paths toward peace.

On the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV met with Bishops, Priests, consecrated persons and pastoral workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.

Opening his remarks, the Pope underlined the relevance of the visit’s motto, “Blessed are the peacemakers”, by recallingthe words of Saint John Paul II when he said that the Church in Lebanon carries the responsibility of sustaining hope.

He noted that the testimonies he had just heard, from four different people, demonstrate that these expectations continue to be met in concrete ways.

On the second day of his Apostolic Visit to Lebanon, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visits the tomb of St. Charbel, saying he taught “prayer to those who live without God, silence to those who live amid noise ... and poverty to those who pursue riches.”

Every year, thousands of pilgrims, Christians and Muslims alike, travel to Annaya, Lebanon to pray at the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf.

On the morning of December 1, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was among them.

At the main entrance to the Monastery of St. Maroun, which houses the tomb, the Pope was greeted by the monastery's superior and the Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order, as well as Lebanon's President and First Lady.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV makes a 30-minute visit to the Carmelite Sisters of the Theotokos in Harissa, on the evening of his first day in Lebanon.

After meeting Lebanon's civil authorities on Sunday evening, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV travelled to the Monastery of the Carmelite Sisters of the Theotokos in Harissa.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope greeted each sister individually before receiving the greeting of the superiors of the two communities.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV meets with Lebanese civil authorities in Beirut as he begins his Apostolic Journey to Lebanon, urging the country's young people to speak “the language of hope,” which he said has enabled Lebanon “always to start again.”

At the start of his Apostolic Journey in Lebanon, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV addressed Lebanon’s civil authorities, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps at the Presidential Palace in Beirut, giving his first speech on Lebanese soil.

In his address on the central theme of his journey, “Blessed are the peacemakers”, the Holy Father underlined that peace in Lebanon is not simply an aspiration, but a daily necessity rooted in the country’s complex social fabric and ongoing challenges.

He reminded Lebanon’s leaders that peace in their country is not an abstraction but “a desire and a vocation” that must be built daily.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV attends the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in Istanbul, and joins Patriarch Bartholomew I to underscore the bonds that unite us in our Christian faith and the continuing efforts to seek full communion.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Sunday, 30 November, invited by Patriarch Bartholomew, to attend the Divine Liturgy at the Venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George.

Over 400 members of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and members of the Episcopate, made up the congregation at the Divine Liturgy on this day celebrating the patronal feast of the Apostle Andrew.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV prays at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul, and thanks God for the courageous witness offered by Armenians throughout history, often amid tragic circumstances.

On the fourth and final day of his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV began the day with prayer at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul.

In his address, the Pope sent his greetings to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the entire Armenian Apostolic community in Türkiye.

He thanked God for the “courageous Christian witness of the Armenian people throughout history, often amid tragic circumstances.”

Presiding over Mass in Istanbul, Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV urges everyone to take time to reflect during the Advent season on the three bonds of unity we are all called to build: within the community, in ecumenical relations, and with members of different faiths.

On his third day in Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV presided at Holy Mass in the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul with hundreds of people “on the eve of the day on which the Church commemorates Saint Andrew, Apostle and Patron of this land.”

In his Homily the Pope recalled that November 30 marks the first Sunday of Advent—a time dedicated to preparing for the birth of Christ, who was “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”

This declaration was solemnly made at the Council of Nicaea 1,700 years ago—an anniversary central to this Apostolic Journey.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I are joined by ecclesial leaders representing the vast majority of the Christian world for an ecumenical encounter to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

The commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council continued on Saturday with a private Ecumenical encounter at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem in Istanbul.

Joining His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I were representatives from the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and other Christian world communions and Ecumenical Organizations, including the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the Baptist World Alliance, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the World Council of Churches.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I sign a Joint Declaration in Istanbul reaffirming their commitment to the path toward full communion and forcefully rejecting any use of religion to justify violence.

On the third day of his Apostolic Visit to Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV travelled to the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul, where he joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for the solemn recitation of the Doxology and the signing of a Joint Declaration that reaffirms their shared commitment to the path toward restored full communion and their united rejection of any appeal to religion to legitimize violence.

During his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV joins the Ecumenical Patriarch for a Prayer Service at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in Istanbul.

On Saturday, his third day in Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV addressed the faithful at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in a Prayer Service and Doxology.

In his greeting to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the Pope expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the warm reception, highlighting the continuity of fraternal bonds with his predecessors.

On the morning of the third day of his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visits the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque.”

Starting off his third day in Türkiye on his first Apostolic Journey abroad, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque.”

"The Pope experienced the visit to the Mosque in silence, in a spirit of recollection and attentive listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer," according to the Holy See Press Office.

The more than 21,000 ceramic tiles from Iznik that line the walls of the building, predominantly blue and turquoise, gave rise to mosque's nickname. 

At the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV greets the community of Catholic faithful and blesses the first stone for a Catholic parish in the US city of Dallas, Texas, brought by the pastor on a pilgrimage to Türkiye.

“Pope Leo”, “Long live the Pope!” The small crowd gathered in the courtyard of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul cheered as they waited for Pope Leo XIV's arrival on Friday morning.

The Prayer encounter with the bishops, deacons, consecrated people and the rest of the Turkish Catholic community was his first appointment on the second day of his Apostolic Visit to Türkiye and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV prays with leaders of various Christian Churches in Nicaea, modern-day Iznik, Türkiye, and invites all Christians to follow the paths of fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation.

At the site of ancient Nicaea, Pope Leo XIV joined around 27 other leaders of Christian Churches to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in the Church’s history.

The Ecumenical Prayer Service took place on the second day of the Pope’s Apostolic Journey to Türkiye.

In his address, the Pope thanked Patriarch Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, for his “great wisdom and foresight” in calling for Church leaders to celebrate this important anniversary together.

On his second day in Türkiye, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visits a care home for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor just outside central Istanbul.

The care home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor just outside central Istanbul is a home for the city’s elderly of every background: Turks, Armenians, refugees from a number of countries in Africa, and even a member of Istanbul’s historic Jewish population.

“The Other is Christ,” reads a phrase on the corridor wall, beside a board displaying each resident’s name card.

The Pope’s first stop in the house was the chapel, which had been adorned for the occasion with flags and flowers. Around 200 people were waiting for him there, both the residents themselves, seated in the front, and the staff who keep the house running every day.

During a meeting with Bishops, Clergy, Religious, and Pastoral Workers in Istanbul, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV highlights Türkiye's profound Christian roots and encourages the small Catholic community to look to the future with confidence, service, and renewed mission.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV kicked off the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye with a meeting with Bishops, Clergy, Consecrated Persons, and Pastoral Workers in Istanbul. 

Gathered in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, the Pope began by acknowledging the depth of Christian history in this land.

As His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visits the site of the Council of Nicaea, held in 325, we recall the importance of the first Ecumenical Council's proclamation of the Church’s faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, which also established the date for Easter for all Christians.

The first Ecumenical Council in the history of the Church took place in 325, in an era of epochal change. After some two hundred fifty years of persecution, the decision of the Emperor Constantine to legalize Christianity allowed Christians to worship in freedom throughout the Roman Empire. 

On November 27, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), participated in the concluding session of the conference “Light for Syria”, at Dar Sharqi Guesthouse.

His Excellency Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus, and their Excellencies the Bishops of the different churches in Syria, were also present.

His Holiness was accompanied by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, and Mor Andrawos Bahhi, Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV concludes the first day of his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye after meeting with the country's civil authorities and calling for the Church and Turkish citizens to build a culture of encounter and dialogue.

By Christopher Wells

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV landed on Thursday in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the first stop on a six-day visit to Türkiye and Lebanon—the first Apostolic Journey of his Pontificate.