Pope Leo XIV arrived in Ankara on Thursday at the start of a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon, his first journey abroad since his election earlier this year.
At first glance, the papal itinerary resembles the familiar arc of modern papal travel: state visits in Ankara, a call for peace, gestures of goodwill toward Muslims, and pastoral stops among the vulnerable. But there is much more going on here.
Stepping off the plane on 27 November, the Pope was greeted by Turkish officials before travelling to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, where he laid a wreath and prayed silently for the country’s peace and prosperity.
