"Pope Leo has embarked on his first foreign trip as Catholic leader with a visit to two Muslim-majority countries of Turkiye and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the Middle East, ravaged by conflicts, and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches. The pontiff, who has a crowded three-day itinerary in Turkiye starting on Thursday, before heading on to Lebanon, will be closely watched as he makes his first speeches overseas and visits sensitive cultural sites."
"Foreign travel has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes attracting international attention as they lead events with crowds sometimes in the millions, give foreign policy speeches and conduct international diplomacy. Leo, 70, was scheduled to depart with his entourage from Rome's Fiumicino airport at about 06:40 GMT on Thursday, and will first visit the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address political leaders."
Pope Leo will arrive in Ankara to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address political leaders before visiting Istanbul and then Lebanon. The visit marks the 1,700th anniversary of the early church council that produced the Nicene Creed and includes a crowded three-day Turkish itinerary. The pontiff will make his first foreign speeches, visit sensitive cultural sites, appeal for Middle East peace and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches. Foreign travel forms a major part of the modern papacy as popes lead large public events, give foreign policy speeches and conduct diplomacy. Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru and became a Vatican official in 2023.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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