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A senior U.S. diplomat will travel to Türkiye this week to attend events marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, an ecumenical gathering Pope Leo XIV will also join as part of his first international trip.
Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas will visit Türkiye, Iraq and Israel from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5, with stops in Istanbul, Baghdad, Erbil and Jerusalem, the State Department said Tuesday.
In Türkiye, Rigas will lead the U.S. delegation to the Council of Nicaea commemoration and meet with Turkish officials “to advance the U.S.–Türkiye bilateral relationship,” according to the department.
He is also scheduled to meet with Istanbul-based Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew.
The First Council of Nicaea was convened in A.D. 325 by Roman Emperor Constantine and brought together bishops from across the early Christian world. The gathering produced foundational theological decisions, including the Nicene Creed, which defined the nature of Jesus Christ and his relationship to God.
Nicaea is the ancient name for present-day Iznik, a lakeside town in Türkiye’s Bursa province, southeast of Istanbul.
Following his visit to Türkiye, Rigas will travel to Iraq to meet with senior Iraqi officials, tour U.S. diplomatic facilities and inaugurate the new U.S. Consulate General in Erbil, the statement said. He will conclude his trip in Israel, where he is expected to “reaffirm the ironclad” U.S.-Israel relationship.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV will begin his first overseas visit on Thursday, traveling to Türkiye and Lebanon to promote Christian unity and call for peace amid growing tensions in the Middle East.
The visit marks a key international debut for the newly elected, U.S.-born pontiff, whose low-profile and reserved demeanor contrasts sharply with that of his predecessor, Francis.
While in Türkiye, Pope Leo will attend the Nicaea anniversary celebrations and visit several historic Christian and Islamic sites. He is expected to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara and visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
His visit has so far attracted limited public attention in the predominantly Muslim country, where Christians make up roughly 0.2% of the population.
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