DID Press: Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Leo, the first North American pontiff, will make his first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2, with peace in the Middle East expected to be a central theme.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the visit comes at the invitation of the presidents and church leaders of both countries.
During his stop in Turkey, Pope Leo is set to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of more than 260 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. The meeting will coincide with the 700th anniversary celebrations of the Council of Nicaea in the historic city of Iznik (ancient Nicaea).
Details of the Lebanon leg of the trip have not yet been released.
In his Sunday address, Pope Leo expressed hope that international efforts to end the war in Gaza would yield “meaningful and lasting peace.”
The pontiff’s involvement in peace initiatives for Gaza has become more visible since Israeli forces attacked the enclave’s only Catholic church in July, killing three people and injuring ten others, including the parish priest.
Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years before Leo, had also planned to visit Turkey and Lebanon earlier this year but canceled due to health issues.