The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV will make his first journey outside Italy as pontiff with an apostolic visit to Turkey and Lebanon at the end of November.
In a statement released by the Holy See Press Office on 7 October, director Matteo Bruni confirmed that the Holy Father will travel to Turkey from 27 to 30 November 2025, accepting invitations from both the country’s head of state and its ecclesiastical authorities.
The visit will include a pilgrimage to İznik, the ancient city of Nicaea, to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, an event considered one of the most significant in the history of Christianity.
