Pope Leo XIV this afternoon in Turkey, with Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The two signed a joint declaration (full text below)
Pope Leo today spent his 3rd day in Turkey, after visiting yesterday the site of the Council of Nicaea, held 1,700 years ago in 325 A.D.
This was his schedule today:
(1) 8:45 a.m. — Pope Leo XIV began the third day of his Apostolic Journey to Turkey with a brief visit and guided tour of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the “Blue Mosque” (photo below). The visit ended at c. 9:30 a.m. The Pope did not stop to pray during his visit to the mosque (second photo below)
(2) c. 10 a.m. to c. 11:45 a.m. — Leo then joined leaders of various Christian Churches and Communions at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem for a private ecumenical meeting around a round table. (photo above)
At this meeting, Leo announced that he hopes to visit Jerusalem on the 2,000 anniversary of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ in 2033 A.D.
(3) Lunch at the Apostolic Delegation in Istanbul
(4) c. 3:50 p.m. — Pope Leo met with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of St. George, where the two prayed the Doxology and signed a Joint Declaration condemning the use of religion to justify violence. (photo at top)
(5) c. 5 p.m. — Holy Mass. Pope Leo wrapped up a long Saturday by celebrating Mass at the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul. About 4,000 faithful from across Turkey were present (photo below)
Letter #93, 2025, Saturday, Nov 29: Day #3 of Pope Leo’s 1st Foreign Trip as Pope
Today, Pope Leo XIV continued his historic trip to Turkey, making a visit to the city’s famous “Blue Mosque,” but not stopping his tour of the mosque for prayer.
Asked by his host if he would like to stop to pray for a moment, Leo (reportedly) said, “That’s okay,” indicating that he wished to proceed on his tour of the mosque without taking a moment for either solitary or shared prayer.
Here is a link to a Rome Reports video which documents what occurred.
***
But what really happened?
Here is how Nicole Winfield of Associated Press explained what happened (the story was carried by the National Catholic Reporter, link):
“With Leo, though, even the Vatican seemed caught off guard by his decision not to pray. The Holy See had to correct the official record of the visit after it originally kept the planned reference to him pausing for a moment of prayer.
“Speaking to reporters after the visit, the imam Tunca said he had told the pope: “It’s not my house, not your house, (it’s the) house of Allah,” he said. He said he told Leo: ” ‘If you want, you can worship here,’ I said. But he said, ‘That’s OK.’ ”
“He wanted to see the mosque, wanted to feel (the) atmosphere of the mosque, I think. And was very pleased,” he said.
The new piece that she includes in her report is what the Imam Tunca said he told the Pope:
“It’s not my house, not your house, (it’s the) house of Allah,” he said. He said he told Leo: ” ‘If you want, you can worship here,’ But he said, ‘That’s OK.’ He wanted to see the mosque, wanted to feel (the) atmosphere of the mosque, I think. And was very pleased,” he said.
From this information , it seems clear that Leo may have intended to take a moment of silence — as the Vatican originally said was scheduled — but then heard “It’s not my house, not your house, (it’s the) house of Allah.” That is when Pope Leo said, “That’s OK,” and gave his host to understand that he wished to simply tour the mosque, not stop to pray in it.
Let’s see how another careful journalist reported this story.
Josh McElwee of Reuters was a bit more cautious, reporting that Pope Leo “seemed” not to pray, and also suggesting that such a stop for prayer had been expected by the Vatican itself (link).
He wrote, “The Vatican appeared surprised that Leo had not stopped to pray during the visit,” and he continued “and that [Leo] he had not been welcomed to the mosque by the head of Turkey’s state-run religious organisation, known as the diyanet, as had been planned.”
If what McElwee says was “surprise” on the Vatican’s part was truly surprise, it suggests that something unexpected or unforeseen happened at the mosque.
So, evidently, Leo had not indicated in advance to his Vatican staff that he would not stop for a moment of prayer, and, Leo and his Vatican staff had not been made aware of a change in who would greet the Pope upon his arrival at the mosque.
Here is what McElwee wrote in his report today:
Pope removes shoes but doesn’t pray on visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque (link)
November 29, 2025
ISTANBUL, November 29 (Reuters) — Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, removing his shoes in a sign of respect but not appearing to pray in his first visit as leader of the Catholic Church to a Muslim place of worship during his four-day visit to Turkey.
The first U.S. pope bowed slightly before entering the mosque and was led on a tour of the expansive complex, able to hold 10,000 worshippers, by its imam and the mufti of Istanbul.
Leo, walking in white socks, smiled during the 20-minute visit and joked with one of his guides, the mosque’s lead muezzin — the official who leads the daily calls to prayer.
The Vatican appeared surprised [Note: emphasis added] that Leo had not stopped to pray during the visit and that he had not been welcomed to the mosque by the head of Turkey’s state-run religious organisation, known as the diyanet, as had been planned.
About three hours after the visit, the Vatican released a press statement saying both the prayer and the welcome had occurred [Note: emphasis added] although they had not [Note: emphasis added].
The Vatican press office [Note: later that day] said the release had been sent in error.
LEO’S FIRST TRIP AS POPE BEING CLOSELY WATCHED
Asking Musa Tunca, the muezzin, told journalists after the mosque visit that he asked Leo during the tour if he wished to pray for a moment, but the pope said he preferred to just visit the mosque.
The Vatican said in a statement immediately after the visit that Leo undertook the tour “in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer.”
While Leo did not appear to pray [Note: emphasis added] during the tour, he did joke with Tunca. As the group was leaving the building, the pope noticed he was being guided out a door that is usually an entryway, where a sign says: “No exit.”
“It says no exit,” Leo said, smiling. Tunca responded: “You don’t have to go out, you can stay here.”
(the rest of the Reuters report is omitted due to space reasons...)
***
So, the reason for Leo’s decision not to pray in the “Blue Mosque,” have not been made officially clear, but the reporting suggests that Leo, suddenly and unexpectedly, decided not to say a prayer that his entourage had expected him to say, and even issued a communique saying that he had prayed, before retracting the communique as an error.
Leo himself may be the only one who can tell us why he chose not to stop to pray, but simply continued the tour.
***
Below is a report on today’s events from Inside the Vatican correspondent Anna Artymiak, a Polish journalist based in Rome.
—RM
Trip of Pope Leo XIV, Day #3
Istanbul, the visit to the Blue Mosque
By Anna Artymiak
On the morning of the third day of his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV, like his two predecessors, Benedict XVI and Francis, made a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, known as the Blue Mosque for its strikingly blue ceramic tiles.
The Pope was accompanied by the President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Safi Arpagus, and guided by the Muezzin, Asign Musa Tunca.
The Vatican confirmed in its second bulletin today that there was no moment of silent prayer during the visit to the Mosque.
It was a historic moment as Leo XIV made his first visit to the mosque after almost seven months of his pontificate.
The Holy Father, in a sign of respect, removed his shoes at the entrance, walking in white socks, but did not pray.
Asign Musa Tunca, who as the Muezzin calls for prayer, told the journalists present outside the Blue Mosque after the visit that he asked the Pope, if he would like to pray, but Leo replied that he preferred to visit the place instead.
The atmosphere of the 20-minute visit was very good and relaxed, the Pope listened attentively to the Muezzin’s explanations and both joked.
A silent prayer was scheduled during the visit, as well as a welcoming by the President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Safi Arpagus. Neither took place.
In its first bulletin, the Holy See Press Office informed differently. Then, saying the information was a mistake, the Press Office issued the second bulletin (link), corrected.
The second moment of the day was the private meeting with the leaders of the local Churches and Christians communities at Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephem.
The Holy Father was welcomed by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch and the Metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch for the dioceses of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, Metropolitan Mor Philoxenus Yusuf Cetin and received a boutique of while flowers.
The Patriarch and the Holy Father entered the Church and joined the religious leaders for a group photo.
The meeting started with the hymn to the Holy Spirit sung by a choir.
Then, the private meeting started, during which there was an exchange of addresses.
Leo XIV at the end of the visit wrote in the church guestbook:
“On the historic occasion in which we celebrate 1700 years since the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, we gather to renew our faith in Jesus Christ true God and true man, celebrating the faith we share together. I wish many blessings on all who have gathered here and on all the communities they represent.”
Here is the report of Vatican News on this meeting (link)
VATICAN NEWS REPORT
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Looking to Jerusalem and Jubilee of 2033, Pope Leo highlights path of unity
Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I are joined by ecclesial leaders representing the vast majority of the Christian world for an ecumenical encounter to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
By Christopher Wells — Istanbul
The commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council continued on Saturday with a private ecumenical encounter at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem in Istanbul.
Joining Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I were representatives from the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and other Christian world communions and Ecumenical Organizations, including the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the Baptist World Alliance, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the World Council of Churches
The meeting began with a hymn invoking the Holy Spirit as the heads of Churches and Christian Communities took their places at a round table designed to facilitate their discussion.
The encounter continued behind closed doors, with brief interventions by each leader, followed by a discourse by Pope Leo.
Proclaiming the Good News of the Incarnation
According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo highlighted once again the value of the Council of Nicaea and Friday’s celebration of the anniversary of the Council, which was centered on the Gospel of the Incarnation.
The Holy Father asked for prayers for future meetings and moments like the one just celebrated, including with those Churches that were unable to be present, and assured the assembled Church leaders of his own prayer for that intention.
Pope Leo went on to emphasize the primacy of the evangelization and the proclamation of the “kerygma” – the proclamation of the Good News – while recalling that division among Christians is an obstacle to the witness they bear.
Looking to Jerusalem and the Jubilee of the Redemption
He invited everyone to journey together on the spiritual path leading to the Jubilee of Redemption—the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection—in 2033, with a view to returning to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room, where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper and later, at Pentecost, sent the Holy Spirit upon them.
It is a journey that leads to full unity, the Pope said, recalling his own motto, In Illo uno unum (“In the One Christ, we are one”).
At the conclusion of the event, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, Metropolitan Filüksinos Yusuf Çetin led the group in the recitation of the Our Father.
The third moment of the day was Pope Leo’s meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
On the afternoon of that drizzly day in Istanbul, Leo XIV met the Ecumenical Patriarch for a private conversation.
They then signed a joint declaration.
This was the third private meeting of the two leaders after two meetings held in the Vatican this year following the new Pope’s election.
At the beginning they prayed together during the doxology, a short liturgy to praise the Lord, in the Patriarchal church of Saint George. (Leo XIV is the 5th Pope to visit this church near the Patriarchate offices and residence.)
In a short address (link), the Pope assured that he “is certain that our own encounter will also help to strengthen the bonds of our friendship.”
“Yesterday, and again this morning, we experienced extraordinary moments of grace as we commemorated, together with our brothers and sisters in faith, the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. By remembering that highly significant event, and inspired by the prayer of Jesus that all his disciples may be one (cf. Jn 17:21), we are encouraged in our commitment to seek the restoration of full communion among all Christians, a task that we undertake with God’s help. Compelled by this desire for unity, we also prepare to celebrate the memory of the Apostle Andrew, patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”
The Holy Father received from Bartholomew I a beautiful, red, richly embroidered in gold stole, which he tried on.
Leo XIV, for his part, gave the gift of a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, which the Ecumenical Patriarch kissed with veneration.
The mosaic of Christ Pantocrator is a reproduction of the mosaic that decorates the vault of the Oratory of Saint Zeno, located in the Basilica of Saint Praxedes in Rome.
The Oratory was built in the ninth century by Pope Paschal I as a funeral chapel for his mother, Theodora. It was dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Zeno, whose relics were transferred to this chapel from the Catacombs of Praetextatus during Pope Paschal’s pontificate.
The building stands on the site of an ancient titulus Praxedis, dedicated to Saint Praxedes, sister of Saint Pudentiana, already attested to in the fifth century.
This Oratory is one of the most precious examples of Byzantine art in Rome. Its entire interior is covered with mosaics on a gold background, which, in typical Byzantine style, depict a garden of Paradise.
The cross-vaulted ceiling features a theme dear to Eastern art, namely the four winged archangels, depicted hovering from the four corners of the sky in a prayerful posture, supporting with their hands a central disc representing heaven, inside of which is the image of the Pantocrator.
Christ Pantocrator is depicted as ruler and judge of the universe, in accordance with the iconography typical of the period. His solemn gaze, directed towards the observer, expresses omniscience and eternal presence.
The mosaic (70 × 70 cm) was created by the mosaicists of the Vatican Mosaic Studio between February and June 2021. Polychrome enamels and gold were used, applied with oily stucco on a metal base. The stucco follows the traditional formula used in past centuries for the mosaics in Saint Peter’s Basilica.
The ancient technique of cut mosaic was used to create it. Each small tile was obtained by cutting the enamels with hammer and chisel.
The face of Christ is constructed with a refined play of warm tones, enriched by red and orange tiles that enliven the complexion, while the beard and hair, rendered with dark tiles, give depth to the composition.
Like Paul VI and Athenagoras 60 years, in 1964, Leo XIV and Bartholomew I today signed a joint declaration.
Here is the full text of the Joint Declaration signed today by Pope Leo XIV and Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (link):
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
WITH A PILGRIMAGE TO IZNIK (TÜRKIYE)
ON THE OCCASION OF THE 1700th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF NICAEA
(27 November-2 December 2025)
MEETING WITH HIS HOLINESS BARTHOLOMEW I
AND SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION
Patriarchal Palace (Istanbul)
Saturday, 29 November 2025
JOINT DECLARATION
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever”
Psalm 106 (105): 1
On the eve of the feast of Saint Andrew the First-called Apostle, brother of the Apostle Peter and patron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we, Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, give heartfelt thanks to God, our merciful Father, for the gift of this fraternal meeting.
Following the example of our venerable predecessors, and heeding the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, we continue to walk with firm determination on the path of dialogue, in love and truth (cf. Eph 4:15), towards the hoped-for restoration of full communion between our sister Churches.
Aware that Christian unity is not merely the result of human efforts, but a gift that comes from on high, we invite all the members of our Churches – clergy, monastics, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful – earnestly to seek the fulfillment of the prayer that Jesus Christ addressed to the Father: “that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you… so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21).
The commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, celebrated on the eve of our meeting, was an extraordinary moment of grace.
The Council of Nicaea held in 325 AD was a providential event of unity.
The purpose for commemorating this event, however, is not simply to call to mind the historical importance of the Council, but to spur us on to be continuously open to the same Holy Spirit who spoke through Nicaea, as we wrestle with the many challenges of our time.
We are deeply grateful to all the leaders and delegates of other Churches and ecclesial communities who were willing to participate in this event. In addition to acknowledging the obstacles that prevent the restoration of full communion among all Christians – obstacles which we seek to address through the path of theological dialogue – we must also recognize that what binds us together is the faith expressed in the creed of Nicaea.
This is the saving faith in the person of the Son of God, true God from true God, homoousios with the Father, who for us and our salvation was incarnate and dwelt among us, was crucified, died and was buried, arose on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Through the coming of the Son of God, we are initiated into the mystery of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and are invited to become, in and through the person of Christ, children of the Father and co-heirs with Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Endowed with this common confession, we can face our shared challenges in bearing witness to the faith expressed at Nicaea with mutual respect, and work together towards concrete solutions with genuine hope.
We are convinced that the commemoration of this significant anniversary can inspire new and courageous steps on the path towards unity.
Among its decisions, the First Council of Nicaea also provided the criteria for determining the date of Easter, common for all Christians.
We are grateful to divine providence that this year the whole Christian world celebrated Easter on the same day.
It is our shared desire to continue the process of exploring a possible solution for celebrating together the Feast of Feasts every year.
We hope and pray that all Christians will, “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col 1:9), commit themselves to the process of arriving at a common celebration of the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This year we also commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic Joint Declaration of our venerable predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, which extinguished the exchange of excommunications of 1054.
We give thanks to God that this prophetic gesture prompted our Churches to pursue “in a spirit of trust, esteem and mutual charity the dialogue which, with God’s help, will lead to living together again, for the greater good of souls and the coming of the kingdom of God, in that full communion of faith, fraternal accord and sacramental life which existed among them during the first thousand years of the life of the Church” (Joint Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, 7 December 1965).
At the same time, we exhort those who are still hesitant to any form of dialogue, to listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches (cf. Rev 2:29), who in the current circumstances of history urges us to present to the world a renewed witness of peace, reconciliation and unity.
Convinced of the importance of dialogue, we express our continued support for the work of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which in its current phase is examining issues that have historically been considered divisive.
Together with the irreplaceable role that theological dialogue plays in the process of rapprochement between our Churches, we also commend the other necessary elements of this process, including fraternal contacts, prayer, and joint work in all those areas where cooperation is already possible.
We strongly urge all the faithful of our Churches, and especially the clergy and theologians, to embrace joyously the fruits that have been achieved thus far, and to labor for their continued increase.
The goal of Christian unity includes the objective of contributing in a fundamental and life-giving manner to peace among all peoples.
Together we fervently raise our voices in invoking God’s gift of peace upon our world.
Tragically, in many regions of our world, conflict and violence continue to destroy the lives of so many.
We appeal to those who have civil and political responsibilities to do everything possible to ensure that the tragedy of war ceases immediately, and we ask all people of good will to support our entreaty.
In particular, we reject any use of religion and the name of God to justify violence.
We believe that authentic interreligious dialogue, far from being a cause of syncretism and confusion, is essential for the coexistence of peoples of different traditions and cultures.
Mindful of the 60th anniversary of the declaration Nostra Aetate, we exhort all men and women of good will to work together to build a more just and supportive world, and to care for creation, which is entrusted to us by God. Only in this way can the human family overcome indifference, desire for domination, greed for profit and xenophobia.
While we are deeply alarmed by the current international situation, we do not lose hope. God will not abandon humanity.
The Father sent his Only-Begotten Son to save us, and the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, bestowed upon us the Holy Spirit, to make us sharers in his divine life, preserving and protecting the sacredness of the human person.
By the Holy Spirit we know and experience that God is with us.
For this reason, in our prayer we entrust to God every human being, especially those in need, those who experience hunger, loneliness or illness.
We invoke upon each member of the human family every grace and blessing so that “their hearts may be encouraged, as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery,” who is our Lord Jesus Christ (Col 2:2).
From the Phanar, 29 November 2025
Copyright © Dicastery for Communication – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
The Holy Mass in Istanbul
Finally, the 4th moment of the long third day in Istanbul was Leo XIV‘s celebration of Holy Mass at the fully packed Volkswagen Arena.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the Mass walking next to the Holy Father in the entrance procession. He also came to the Pope for a sign of peace.
The liturgy was in commemoration of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Turkey, whose feast day is tomorrow, November 30.
In his homily, Leo focused on the holy mountain of the Lord, “a place of light and peace.”
Leo XIV asked Catholics of Turkey to build the unity through three bonds: within the Church, between Christian denominations, and between religions, like their famous bridge which is part of the logo of the Apostolic trip.
“It represents,” he said, “the famous large bridge in this city, which crosses the Bosporus Strait and unites two continents: Asia and Europe. Over time, two other crossings have been added, so that there are now three points of connection between the two sides.”
Speaking on the first one which “consists of four different liturgical traditions: Latin, Armenian, Chaldean and Syriac,” the Holy Father recalled that “the unity that binds us together around the altar is a gift from God” and is “the work of his grace.”
“Unity needs care, attention and “maintenance,” so that its foundations remain solid and are not weakened by time and vicissitudes.”
The Holy Father underlined that “the same faith in Jesus our Savor unites not only those of us within the Catholic Church, but all our brothers and sisters belonging to other Christian Churches” and added that it was experienced “yesterday in our prayer at Iznik.” Giving as an example St. John XXIII ha said “we renew today our “yes” to unity, “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21), ut unum sint.”
Leo XIV asked the present also to work on the unity with members of other religions. “Therefore, we want to walk together by appreciating what unites us, breaking down the walls of prejudice and mistrust, promoting mutual knowledge and esteem in order to give to all a strong message of hope and an invitation to become “peacemakers” (Mt 5:9).”
At the liturgy presided by Leo XIV there were many pilgrims from Hatay, devastated by the terrible earthquake in 2023.
The Holy Father donated to the Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul a chalice and paten. Leo XIV also received a chalice with representations of all six Apostles who worked in this land.
The chalice and paten donated by the Pope were created by Giuliano Tincani, a goldsmith from Reggio Emilia, based on a design by Fernando Miele. They were duly sponsored by the Parish of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican, with the support of the Vatican Chapter, for the occasion of the seventeenth centenary of the Council of Nicaea (325-2025).
Their commission was immediately conceived as a Papal gift for the Vicariate and Apostolic Administration of Istanbul, as a sign of a united commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council.
The materials used in their manufacture are silver, gold and rock crystal.
The paten, gilded in pure silver, is large enough to hold the Eucharistic bread. Five crosses are engraved in its centre to symbolise the five piercings of the crucified Body of Christ.
The chalice, while modern, is “classical” in style and consists of a cup, a node and base.
Engraved on the lower part of the foot are a cross, the keys of Peter (a reference to the patron), the word NICEA and the dates CCCXXV and MMXXV.
On the base, in gold relief, are the apocalyptic Lamb and the letters IC XC NI KA.
The node consists of a rock crystal sphere enclosing a cosmic cross in gold, a reminder of the salvation that God accomplishes in history from within by becoming Man in Mary’s womb.
Here is a Vatican News report on the Mass. celebrated by Pope Leo:
Pope at Mass: Bring hope in world where religion is used to justify war (link)
Presiding over Mass in Istanbul, Turkey, Pope Leo XIV urges everyone to take time to reflect during the Advent season on the three bonds of unity we are all called to build: within the community, in ecumenical relations, and with members of different faiths.
By Kielce Gussie
On his third day in Turkey, Pope Leo XIV presided at Holy Mass in the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul with hundreds of people “on the eve of the day on which the Church commemorates Saint Andrew, Apostle and Patron of this land.”
The Pope recalled that November 30 marks the first Sunday of Advent—a time dedicated to preparing for the birth of Christ, who was “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”
This declaration was solemnly made at the Council of Nicaea 1,700 years ago—an anniversary central to this Apostolic Journey.
Holiness more eloquent a sign than miracles
Turning to the first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, the Pope reflected on the invitation to all people to “ascend the mountain of the Lord,” and he emphasized the importance of the images present in the passage—Isaiah 2:1-5.
The first image is that of the mountain “established as the highest of the mountains,” which is meant to remind us that the fruits of God’s action in our lives are meant to be shared with everyone.
The city of Zion in the Old Testament is set atop a mountain and is placed as a beacon of light for all people from all corners of the earth. This, the Pope stressed, “serves as a reminder that the joy of goodness is contagious.”
The saints, like the Apostles Peter, Andrew, and John, confirm this. Pope Leo argued their example reveals an invitation to “renew the power of our own witness of faith.”
Looking at the words of St. John Chrysostom, the Holy Father highlighted how “the allure of holiness” is “a sign more eloquent than any miracles.”
Therefore, the Pope explained, if we truly want to help others, we must “keep watch over ourselves, as the Gospel recommends, by cultivating our faith with prayer and the sacraments.”
But, he warned, we must follow St. Paul’s advice to take on the armor of light rather than the “works of darkness.”
How can we contribute to peace today?
The second image from the Old Testament text is a world in which peace reigns. The prophet Isaiah describes it as a time when swords will become plowshares, spears used as pruning hooks, and no one shall take up swords against one another.
“How urgent this call is for us today,” Pope Leo noted, inviting everyone to ask themselves how they can contribute to achieving peace, unity, and reconciliation in the world.
To dive deeper into this call, the Holy Father used the example of the logo of this Apostolic Journey, which showcases a bridge.
It also calls to mind the large viaduct or bridge connecting the Asian and European continents across the Bosporus Strait. Two more crossings have been built, making means of communication and encounter possible.
Pope Leo explained how these three bridges are a reminder for each of us to build our own structures of connection on three levels: “within the community, in ecumenical relations with members of other Christian denominations, and in our encounters with brothers and sisters belonging to other religions.”
Bonds of unity
The first bond of unity is within the Catholic Church, which in Türkiye is made up of four liturgical traditions: Latin, Armenian, Chaldean, and Syriac.
“Each,” he stressed, “contributes its own spiritual, historical, and ecclesial richness.” When we appreciate the differences, we create a catholicity that unites.
Yet, these bridges we build—like the one over the Bosphorus Strait—need care, attention, and maintenance to withstand time and challenges.
The second bond of unity is ecumenism, which is evident in this Mass through the presence of representatives of other Christian Confessions.
Pope Leo noted that “the same faith in Jesus our Savior unites not only those of us within the Catholic Church, but all our brothers and sisters belonging to other Christian Churches.”
The ecumenical prayer meeting at Iznik on November 28 was a prime example of this, and it is a path “along which we have been walking together for some time.”
The third and final bond of unity is with people of non-Christian communities. In a world “where religion is too often used to justify wars and atrocities,” the Second Vatican Council reiterated how “whoever does not love does not know God.”
Therefore, the Pope urged everyone to walk together and appreciate the things that unite us.
We must break down the walls “of prejudice and mistrust, promoting mutual knowledge and esteem,” he said, so that we can be messengers of hope and an invitation to becoming peacemakers.
Closing, Pope Leo XIV challenged everyone to use the Advent season to “make these values our resolutions,” remembering that we are on a journey to Heaven.”
[End, report by Anna Artymiak on Pope Leo’s 3rd day in Turkey]
