site.btaPope Leo to Visit Turkiye on First Overseas Trip

Pope Leo XIV arrives in Turkiye for his first foreign visit since his election as head of the Roman Catholic Church. According to the programme released by the Vatican, the Holy Father is expected to arrive in Ankara at 12:30 p.m. local time and be welcomed with an official ceremony at the airport.

Immediately after landing in the Turkish capital, Pope Leo XIV will visit the mausoleum of the founder of the Republic of Turkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, where he will honour his memory by laying a wreath. A welcoming ceremony is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. at the Presidential Palace. According to the programme, the meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should last about half an hour. After that, the Holy Father will head to the Catholic Church, which is located next to the Vatican Embassy in Turkiye. There, at 3:20 p.m., his meeting with citizens, representatives of the Christian community in the country and the diplomatic corps will begin. The Pope is due to depart for Istanbul at around 6 p.m.

The programme in Istanbul on November 28 begins with a meeting with the Christian clergy in the metropolis, which will be held at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, followed by a visit to the Nursing Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor. On the same day, Pope Leo XIV will travel to the city of Iznik, or the former Nicaea, where a commemorative ceremony is planned to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.

The Holy Father's programme on November 29 begins with a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, followed by a meeting with representatives of Christian churches in Turkiye and leaders of local Christian communities. In the afternoon, he will meet Oecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Patriarchal Palace, where the two prelates will sign a joint declaration. The Pope will serve Holy Mass at 4:50 p.m. at the Volkswagen Arena.
 
On November 30, before departing from Istanbul, Pope Leo XIV will pray at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral. The farewell ceremony at the airport is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. From Turkiye, the Pope will depart for Lebanon.