Pope Leo said on Thursday he hopes to travel to Türkiye later this year for the 1,700th anniversary of a major Christian Church summit, in what would be the first foreign trip of his papacy.
The early centuries of Christianity were marked by a lively debate about how Jesus could be both God and man, and the Church decided on the issue at the First Council of Nicaea - now known as Iznik in Turkey - in 325.
I hope to be able to meet you again, in a few months, to take part in the ecumenical commemoration of the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea," Pope Leo said in an audience with Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims from the United States.
The pilgrims visited Leo at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, before continuing their journey to Istanbul.
There is considerable hope that Pope Leo will continue to nurture the “dialogue of love” shared by Catholics and Orthodox over the past six decades. Relations between the Vatican and the Phanar flourished in recent years due to the extraordinary friendship of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the late Pope Francis.
The visit today by Archbishop Elpidophoros and Cardinal Tobin sets the stage for the new Pope’s upcoming trip to Nicaea in late November, where he is expected to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and visit the Phanar for the Feast of St. Andrew.
Earlier this month, the Turkish presidency said the pontiff had told Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan about his intention to visit her country.
Leo, elected on 8th May following the death of Pope Francis, has not yet embarked on any foreign travels.
Francis had been planning to go to Turkey to celebrate the anniversary of the Nicaea Council with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In May, after visiting Leo at the Vatican, Bartholomew told the Italian bishops' TV2000 broadcaster that a possible date for the pope's Turkish trip was November 30.
First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea
The 1700th Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea marks a momentous occasion for the global Christian community, commemorating a foundational event in the history of Christian doctrine.
Convened in 325 AD, the Council affirmed the divinity of Christ and established the Nicene Creed—an enduring symbol of unity among Christians.
This anniversary celebration brings together Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant traditions in a spirit of reflection, dialogue, and shared prayer. It serves as a call to renew the commitment to Christian unity, echoing the conciliar spirit of the first ecumenical gathering.
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