Pope Leo XIV has begun his first apostolic journey, starting his visit to Turkey Nov. 27 with an address in which he urged Turkish officials and authorities to pursue peace and to embrace the country’s unique identity as a geographical and cultural “bridge.”
“I am pleased to begin the Apostolic Journeys of my Pontificate with a visit to Turkey, for this land is inextricably linked to the origins of Christianity, and today it beckons the children of Abraham and all humanity to a fraternity that recognizes and appreciates differences,” he began, addressing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other authorities gathered in the National Library of Türkiye.
Pope Leo stressed that Turkey has a “special role” in the world as a “bridge,” noting that the country physically connects Asia to Europe but also unites itself by bringing together diverse parts of the nation.
“A society is alive if it has a plurality,” he said. “For what makes it a civil society are the bridges that link its people together. Yet today, human communities are increasingly polarized and torn apart by extreme positions that fragment them.”
The pope said that Christians desire to contribute to unity in Turkey and, citing Pope St. John XXIII and Pope Francis’ teachings on interreligious dialogue, urged Christians to follow “a more evangelical and genuine way of thinking, which Pope Francis called the ‘culture of encounter.’”
Pope Leo drew parallels between Turkey's role as a bridge and God’s love and compassion for humanity, saying that “God, in revealing himself, established a bridge between heaven and earth.”
He called for Turkey, as a religious nation, to measure its development in terms of the amounts of compassion and solidarity it possesses, saying that practicing the two virtues includes honoring the dignity of all and promoting respect and the common good.
He urged protection of the “human family” through compassion, justice, and community. The pontiff also emphasized that worldly, consumerist cultures bring isolation, while “affection and personal connection” allow people to become their true selves.
“Only through love does our inner life become profound and our identity strong. Those who scorn fundamental human ties, and fail to learn how to bear even their limitations and fragility, more easily become intolerant and incapable of interacting with our complex world,” Pope Leo said, adding that the family is crucial in forming society through its provision of love and human connection.
Directly addressing Erdoğan, Pope Leo said that globalization has led to conflict and fragmentation, noting that the disunity is "enabling what Pope Francis called ‘a third world war fought piecemeal.’”
“We must in no way give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake,” he urged. “The energies and resources absorbed by this destructive dynamic are being diverted from the real challenges that the human family should instead be facing together today, namely peace, the fight against hunger and poverty, health and education, and the protection of creation.”
Pope Leo’s visit to Turkey, scheduled until Nov. 30, coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. While aboard the papal plane to Türkiye, he told journalists that he hopes his papal journey will highlight how important global peace is and invite people across the world to unite, regardless of religion, belief, or other differences.
Following his time in Turkey, the pope will travel to Lebanon, where he will stay until Dec. 3.
>> ‘Every day, we hope for peace’: Lebanon to welcome Pope Leo in historic visit <<