Overview
- The Nov. 27–Dec. 2 journey begins in Ankara for state meetings before moving to Istanbul and a helicopter pilgrimage to İznik for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
- Pope Leo will meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul to sign a joint declaration, participate in a doxology, and attend the Divine Liturgy on the feast of St. Andrew.
- In Beirut, the pope will hold separate meetings with the president, the parliament speaker, and the prime minister, followed by an address to authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps.
- The final day in Lebanon includes a silent prayer at the 2020 port blast site, a visit to De La Croix Hospital in Jal El Dib, and a public Mass at the Beirut Waterfront.
- The schedule features a visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and key Christian sites, while reporting notes no stops at Hagia Sophia or in southern Lebanon.