Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Türkiye and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the region.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, will give his first speeches to foreign governments and visit some sensitive cultural sites as part of a crowded itinerary during the 27 November to 2 December trip.
His predecessor Pope Francis had planned to visit both countries but was unable to because of his worsening health. Francis died on 21 April and Leo, originally from Chicago, was elected pope on 8 May by the world's cardinals.
Leo goes first to Türkiye, from 27 November to 30, where he has several joint events with Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world's 260 million Orthodox Christians, who is based in İstanbul.
Peace is expected to be a key theme of Leo's visit to Lebanon, which has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East.
Leo will also visit İstanbul's Blue Mosque, his first visit as pope to a Muslim place of worship, and will celebrate a Catholic Mass at Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena.
The pope will also host an inter-religious meeting and lead an outdoor Mass on the Beirut waterfront. But Leo, visiting five towns and cities in the country, will not travel to the south, the target of Israeli strikes.
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Pope Leo XIV celebrated his 70th birthday on Sunday at St. Peter’s Square, blessing the faithful and receiving messages from around the world, including from world leaders and children.
Head of the Catholic church Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged the global community to push for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, calling for the release of hostages and safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Almost 2,000 people have been evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan since conflict erupted in the Middle East.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump called his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good.” The two leaders spoke on Monday about the situation in Iran and other international issues.
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