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Pope Leo XIV</center>
 
While most of us in the United States were either preparing or devouring our traditional Thanksgiving feast, Pope Leo XIV left the Vatican yesterday and embarked on the first Apostolic Journey of his papacy. The six-day pilgrimage will take him to Türkiye and Lebanon, with the highlight of the trip being a stop in Iznik, Türkiye, to commemorate the first Ecumenical Council of the Church, the Council of Nicaea, which took place 1700 years ago in 325 AD.
 
In advance of his trip, this past Sunday the pope released an aposolic letter entitled "In Unitate Fidei" ("In the Unity of Faith"), drawing attention to the Council of Nicaea. In the letter, the pope recalls the formulation of the Nicene Creed and its importance as a profession of Christian faith:
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"I would like this Letter to encourage the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith. For centuries, this enduring confession of faith has been the common heritage of Christians, and it deserves to be professed and understood in ever new and relevant ways."
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His reference to the "whole Church" brings additional focus to the trip's goal of strengthening bonds with other Christian denominations. The full text of the letter can be viewed by clicking on the link in the References below.
 
Day One of the trip included his departure from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport yesterday morning, followed by his arrival at Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara, Türkiye. Following a visit to the Ataturk Mausoleum, he proceeded to the Presidential Palace for an official welcoming ceremony hosted by the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The pope also met with the Turkish diplomatic corps and other civil and local dignitaries. He then was whisked to the airport for a flight to Istanbul.
 
The pope’s itinerary for the remainder of his trip includes the following highlights:
 
Friday, November 28 
<li>Meeting with religious at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Istanbul 
<li>Helicopter trip to İznik for an Ecumenical Prayer Service near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos 
<li>Return to Istanbul and a private meeting with bishops in the Apostolic Delegation
 
Saturday, November 29. The entire day will be spent in Istanbul with the following planned events: 
<li>Visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque 
<li>Meeting with local church leaders at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem 
<li>Meeting with His Holiness Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Palace, highlighted by the signing of a Joint Declaration 
<li>Mass at the Volkswagen Arena
 
Sunday November 30 
<li>Prayer visit at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral 
<li>Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George 
<li>Farewell Ceremony and departure from Atatürk Airport to Beirut
<li>Arrival and Welcome Ceremony at Beirut International Airport
<li>Visit with President, President of the National Assembly, Prime Minister and civil authorities at the Presidential Palace
 
Monday, December 1 
<li>Visit and prayer service at the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya 
<li>Meeting with Bishops and religious at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa 
<li>Ecumenical and Interreligious Meeting in the Martyrs’ Square in Beirut 
<li>Meeting with young people in the square at the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerké
 
Tuesday, December 2 
<li> Visit to De La Croix Hospital in Jal Ed Dib 
<li>Prayer Service and Mass at the Beirut Waterfront and site of the Beirut Port explosion in 2020 
<li>Farewell Ceremony and departure from Beirut International Airport 
<li>Return to Rome around 4 pm, Rome time
 
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Papal Journeys to Turkey: 
Pope John Paul II, 1979 (Scott C72, 1980) 
Pope Benedict XVI, 2006 (Scott 1369, 2007) 
Pope Francis, 2014 (Scott 1600, 2015) 
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Papal Journeys to Lebanon: 
Pope John Paul II, 1997 (Scott 1091, 1998) 
Pope Benedict XVI. Lebanon, 2012 (Scott 1543, 2013)</center>
 
The trip will mark the fifth visit of a pope to Türkiye (Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979, Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and Pope Francis in 2014) and the third to Lebanon (Pope John Paul II in 1997 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2012). This first trip of Pope Leo's pontificate is sure to draw much attention to his desire to connect with people of Christian and non-Christian faiths and will undoubtedly be covered in great depth in the lay and Catholic press. The reference below from the Holy See website provides a more detailed review of the pope’s itinerary during this trip.
 
REFERENCES: 
<li>The Holy See website, <a href='https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_letters/documents/20251123-in-unitate-fidei.html'>Apostolic Letter "IN UNITATE FIDEI" on the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea</a> 
<li>The Holy See website, <a href='https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/travels/2025/documents/turchia-libano-2025.html'>Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV</a> 
<li>Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search

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