Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Pope Leo XIV’s first trip abroad turkey And lebanonThere will be ample opportunities to advance relations with two of the Catholic Church’s top priorities: Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
It will spotlight the first American pope in history to speak widely about peace in the Middle East in languages most of the world can understand: He will speak exclusively in English while in Turkey, and in a combination of English and French in Lebanon, moving away from the Vatican’s traditional Italian language.
Security Will be tough, especially after Israel attacks beirut A few days before LEO’s arrival, to target Hezbollah.
Here’s a look at some of the expected highlights from November 27-December. A visit to two countries the late Pope Francis had intended to visit, but could not due to his poor health.
Lebanon and Türkiye are frequent destinations of the Pope
Both Turkey and Lebanon have received several popes, beginning with Pope Paul VI, the first pontiff to travel internationally, indicating their importance to the Holy See.
For the Vatican, its tradition of religious tolerance in Lebanon and the Middle East is a safeguard for Christians in the region, especially after years of conflict and war that have shrunk Christian communities dating back to the time of the Apostles.
Turkey, for its part, is home to the Ecumenical Patron of the Orthodox Church, and is therefore an important relationship to nurture in the centuries-long quest for Christian unity.
Turkey is a rare country that, with Leo’s visit, can claim to have been visited by five of the modern globe-trotting Popes: Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in 2014.
Paul VI also visited Lebanon in 1964 during a stopover en route to India, John Paul II visited Lebanon in 1997 and Benedict XVI visited Lebanon in 2012 in his last papal visit abroad. Francis had tried to visit for several years, but the country’s instability and then Francis’s poor health made his visit impossible.
conservative relationship
The main reason for Leo’s visit to Türkiye, the first stop, is to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Christianity’s first ecumenical council.
Leo will pray with Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, at the 325 AD meeting site in Iznik, today’s northwestern Turkey, and sign a joint declaration in a clear sign of Christian unity.
The Eastern and Western churches were united until the Great Schism of 1054, a division largely caused by disagreement over the primacy of the Pope.
The Rev. Paolo Pugliese, superior of Capuchin Catholic monks in Turkey, said commemoration of the Council of Nicaea – which gave rise to the creed still read by Christians today – would send a powerful message of unity.
“What better opportunity than Nicaea to reclaim our common identity,” he said.
Interreligious dialogue and the plight of the Palestinians
Leo will also visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and chair an interfaith meeting in both Istanbul and Beirut. It is noteworthy that he will not visit the historic Hagia Sophia monument in Istanbul as previous Popes have done.
In July 2020, Turkey converted the Hagia Sophia – once one of the most important historical cathedrals in Christianity and a UN-designated World Heritage Site – from a museum back to a mosque, a move that drew widespread international criticism. At the time, Francis said he felt “deeply saddened” by the decision.
The Vatican’s strong support for Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, first under Francis and now Leo, has boosted the church’s credibility among Muslims, the region’s clergy say.
However, security is expected to remain tight, as regional conflicts have not subsided. Israel carried out an airstrike on the Lebanese capital on Sunday, killing Hezbollah’s chief of staff and four others.
Leo said this week that such attacks were “always a matter of concern”, but appealed to everyone for dialogue, not violence.
Monsignor César Essayon, Beirut’s apostolic vicar for Latin rite Catholics, said Lebanon was the safest place in the region for Leo to visit and an ideal place for him to speak about peace.
He said of Lebanon, “He couldn’t go to Gaza. Now it’s useless to go to Israel. It’s very difficult in Syria. It’s the only country.” “And here he has been provided with this singularity and this vocation that will allow him to take a very strong message (of peace) to the entire world.”
beirut port explosion
The highlight of the Lebanese visit will be on Leo’s last day, December 2, when he will spend time in silent prayer at the site of the August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion.
The blast in the Lebanese capital killed at least 218 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed large parts of Beirut.
Lebanese citizens were outraged by the explosion, which appeared to be the result of government negligence, on top of an economic crisis stemming from decades of corruption and financial crimes. But the investigation has repeatedly stalled, and five years later no officials have been convicted.
Another important moment will come when Leo meets the young Lebanese. He is expected to offer words of encouragement to the Lebanese people amid their decades-long journey abroad, while also acknowledging their disillusionment over the failures of generations before them.
,
Associated Press religion coverage is supported by the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.