POPE LEO XIV Began His First Apostolic Visit This Morning After Departing From Rome’s Fiumicino Airport At 1:58 A.M. For Ankara, Turkey. The Visit, Which Aims To Strengthen Unity And Emphasize A Message Of Peace, Is Also Expected To Take Him To Lebanon In The Coming Days.
During The Trip, The Pope Traveled On An ITA Airways Airbus A320neo Aircraft, Which Carried An Image Of Our Mother Of Good Counsel—A Title Of The Virgin Mary Highly Revered By The Augustinian Order—As A Symbol Of The Blessing And Protection Of The Mother Of The Church For This Historic Journey.
Upon His Arrival In Ankara, Pope Leo’s First Stop Was The Mausoleum Of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, The Father Of The Turkish Nation. He Was Later Received At The State Palace And Held Talks With President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Before Addressing Government Leaders And Diplomats In An Event Focused On A Message Of Harmony And Cooperation.
From There, He Will Travel To Istanbul Where He Will Rest And Carry Out His Duties At The Apostolic Nuncio For The Duration Of His Visit To Turkey. The Visit Is Considered An Important Step In Strengthening Interreligious Dialogue, Maintaining Peaceful Diplomacy, And Promoting Solidarity Between The Vatican And The Eastern World.