Apostolic Journey to Türkiye: Day One
By Christopher Wells
Pope Leo XIV landed on Thursday in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the first stop on a six-day visit to Türkiye and Lebanon—the first Apostolic Journey of his pontificate.
The Pope was met at the airport by Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. After the official welcoming ceremony, the Holy Father visited the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the founder and first president of the Republic of Türkiye.
Signing the “Golden Book” to commemorate his visit, the Pope wrote, in English, “I give thanks to God for being able to visit Türkiye, and I invoke upon this country and its people an abundance of peace and prosperity.”
Meetings with political and civil leaders
The first day in Türkiye was largely taken up with meetings with political and civil authorities.
Following the visit to the Ataturk Memorial, Pope Leo was escorted by a contingent of horse guards to the Presidential Palace, where he was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
After a private encounter in the office of the President, the two leaders made their way to the Nation’s Library for an encounter with authorities, representatives of civil society, and members of the diplomatic corps.
Pope Leo’s address highlighted Türkiye’s role in as “bridge” uniting different communities, the importance of families in the modern world, and the necessity of rejecting the “globalization of indifference” in favour of a “culture of encounter.”
The Pope’s final official visit was to the Presidency of Religious Affairs, the Diyanet—the government institution that promotes the teaching and practice of Sunni Islam in Türkiye—for a private meeting with the Diyanet’s President, Safi Arpaguş.
Although the Republic of Türkiye, since its foundation, is a secular state, the vast majority of the population, over 99%, is Muslim.
Pope Leo concluded his first day in Türkiye with a brief stop at the Apostolic Nunciature for a meeting with the personnel before returning to the airport for the short flight to Istanbul.
The Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey continues on Friday with a prayer encounter with the bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, and pastoral workers in Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, followed by a pastoral visit to a special care facility for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Friday afternoon will see one of the highlights of the Pope’s visit, the Ecumenical Prayer Service in Nicaea—modern-day Iznik—to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in the history of the Church.
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