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A Vatican delegation has visited several historical and religious sites in the northwestern province of Bursa ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s planned trip to Türkiye later in November, where he is expected to attend a ceremony in the ancient city of Iznik marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
The 38-member group, made up of priests and nuns from the Vatican, included Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar general. The delegation began its visit at the Iznik Basilica and the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Iznik, a city historically known as Nicaea and associated with early Christian councils that shaped foundational doctrines of the Church.
The group continued to central Bursa, stopping at the historic Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Building and Koza Han, a 15th-century silk market that remains a cultural hub. During the visit, Cardinal Reina was seen greeting local shopkeepers. The delegation also included Renato Tarantelli Baccari, Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, and Sister Rebecca, Director of the Pilgrimage Pastoral Office of the Vicariate of Rome. Additional stops were made at the Grand Bazaar and the city’s Protestant Church.
According to details shared by the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Iznik on Nov. 28 for a ceremony connected to the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, one of the most significant gatherings in early Christian history. The visit is part of a broader itinerary that includes state and religious meetings in Ankara and Istanbul.
The trip will begin in Ankara, where the pope is expected to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, government officials, representatives of civil society, and members of the diplomatic community. He will also visit Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic.
On the same day, the pope will travel to Istanbul for meetings at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and a visit to a nursing home operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic religious order providing elderly care.
Pope Leo XIV will travel by helicopter from Istanbul to Iznik to take part in an ecumenical prayer near the archaeological remains of the Basilica of Saint Neophytos, before returning to Istanbul for a private meeting with bishops at the Apostolic Delegation, the papal mission office in the country.
The Istanbul program also includes a visit to the Blue Mosque, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, and a meeting at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem with leaders of various Christian denominations. A doxology service at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George will precede a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, after which both leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration. The visit will also feature a public Mass at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.
On the final day of the trip, the pope will visit the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and attend the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George. The visit will conclude with an ecumenical blessing and a farewell ceremony at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.
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