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Pope Leo XIV said Thursday he hopes to travel to Türkiye later this year to attend commemorations marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, in what would be the first foreign trip of his papacy.
The pontiff, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, announced his intention to visit the northwestern Turkish town of Iznik—ancient Nicaea—in November. The site hosted the seminal Christian council in 325 AD, which defined core tenets of Christian theology.
“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 during an audience with Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims from the United States.
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The pilgrims visited the pope at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, before continuing their journey to Istanbul.
The Council of Nicaea, convened by Emperor Constantine, is considered one of the most important milestones in Church history. It was the first ecumenical council and marked the beginning of a unified Christian doctrine, including affirmations on the dual nature of Jesus as both God and man.
The anniversary events are scheduled to take place in both Iznik and Istanbul in November. Local authorities expect large numbers of visitors to the region.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8 following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away last month. He has not yet made any international visits.
Earlier this month, the Turkish presidency revealed that Leo had expressed his intention to visit Türkiye during a conversation with First Lady Emine Erdogan.
Francis, who had long hoped to attend the anniversary ceremonies, had planned to visit Türkiye alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians. In May, following a meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican, Bartholomew told Italy’s TV2000 broadcaster that a potential date for the Turkish visit could be November 30.
According to the Ankara-based ANKA News Agency, Pope Francis expressed in his final spoken will a strong desire for an official visit to Iznik. “If I am not alive, my successor must visit Iznik,” he reportedly said.
Prior to Pope Francis’ passing, Türkiye Today reached out to the Holy See’s Press Office to inquire about the status of the trip. In response to a question from Türkiye Today editor Koray Erdogan, the Vatican replied: “The Pope has expressed his intention to go, but there has been no official announcement, so at present we have no considerations to share.”
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