The Vatican announced the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Turkey to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council

The Holy See has officially confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will make apostolic journeys to Turkey and Lebanon in late November and early December this year. The trip is timed to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council and will take place at the invitation of heads of state and local church authorities.

According to Vatican News, the first leg of the visit will take place in the Republic of Turkey from November 27-30. The key event will be a pilgrimage to the city of Iznik, historically known as Nicea. The event commemorates the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, which took place in Nicea in 325 and is of fundamental importance to Christianity.

Immediately after completing the program in Turkey, the Pontiff will head to Lebanon. The visit will last from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 and, like the trip to Turkey, is in response to an invitation from the country’s government and religious leaders.

The official Vatican message notes that the detailed schedule and itinerary of both apostolic journeys will be published later.

Earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to the Vatican Andriy Yurash said that the Vatican was considering the possibility of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Ukraine. According to the diplomat, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV has been showing exceptional attention to Ukraine since the first days of his pontificate. On the day of his first public statement, he devoted the central part of his speech to the Ukrainian issue.