Pope Leo XIV kicked off his historic first foreign trip as the American pope on Thursday by urging Turkey to promote stability and dialogue in a world plagued by conflict. During a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pope Leo called upon Turkey to be a bridge between East and West, a role it has historically played.
The pope's visit comes at a time when Turkey is playing a key mediating role in efforts to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. While Pope Leo didn't specifically mention these conflicts, he quoted his predecessor, Pope Francis, who described the world wars of today as a "third world war fought piecemeal." The pope emphasized that humanity's future is at stake.
Pope Leo also made significant comments on women's rights during his speech. He praised Turkey's initiatives to support women and promote their positive influence globally. However, this message was met with some skepticism from critics of Erdogan's 2021 withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, a landmark European treaty aimed at protecting women from violence.
The pope is currently in Ankara for meetings with Erdogan and the country's diplomatic corps before heading to Istanbul for interfaith meetings and prayers with Orthodox Christian leaders. His visit marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, an unprecedented gathering of bishops from around the Roman Empire.
In a lighthearted moment, Pope Leo even acknowledged Thanksgiving in the United States, gifting reporters pumpkin pies on board his plane. Despite the pope's significant message, many Turks seem to view his visit as largely symbolic, with some questioning its relevance given Turkey's ongoing economic and social challenges.
Despite these reservations, Pope Leo's visit has sparked a sense of joy among some Turks, particularly in the small Christian community. However, for others, the focus remains on domestic issues rather than international politics. As the pope prepares to travel to Lebanon, it remains to be seen how his message will resonate with the Turkish people and what impact his visit will have on the region's complex web of conflicts and relationships.
The pope's visit comes at a time when Turkey is playing a key mediating role in efforts to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. While Pope Leo didn't specifically mention these conflicts, he quoted his predecessor, Pope Francis, who described the world wars of today as a "third world war fought piecemeal." The pope emphasized that humanity's future is at stake.
Pope Leo also made significant comments on women's rights during his speech. He praised Turkey's initiatives to support women and promote their positive influence globally. However, this message was met with some skepticism from critics of Erdogan's 2021 withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, a landmark European treaty aimed at protecting women from violence.
The pope is currently in Ankara for meetings with Erdogan and the country's diplomatic corps before heading to Istanbul for interfaith meetings and prayers with Orthodox Christian leaders. His visit marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, an unprecedented gathering of bishops from around the Roman Empire.
In a lighthearted moment, Pope Leo even acknowledged Thanksgiving in the United States, gifting reporters pumpkin pies on board his plane. Despite the pope's significant message, many Turks seem to view his visit as largely symbolic, with some questioning its relevance given Turkey's ongoing economic and social challenges.
Despite these reservations, Pope Leo's visit has sparked a sense of joy among some Turks, particularly in the small Christian community. However, for others, the focus remains on domestic issues rather than international politics. As the pope prepares to travel to Lebanon, it remains to be seen how his message will resonate with the Turkish people and what impact his visit will have on the region's complex web of conflicts and relationships.
! He's like totally old school but in a good way, you know? Back in my day, we didn't have all these fancy foreign trips, but we made do just fine 
. This pope is like a diplomat and a preacher all rolled into one - talk about multitasking! 
, it's like, super important stuff! But at the same time, I can see why some people might be skeptical about Erdogan's past moves 
. It's like, one step forward, two steps back, you know? 
And hey, even if some Turks don't see it that way, the small Christian community is totally stoked to have him here 
.
. Fingers crossed, indeed! 
. Anyway, I'm glad Pope Leo acknowledged Thanksgiving tho, pumpkin pie is life 
!
– let's celebrate those empowering initiatives 
! Sure, some folks might view his visit as symbolic 
. The fact that Pope Leo even acknowledged Thanksgiving in the US 
is like, totally adorable 
– who wouldn't want some pumpkin pie on their plane? 
he's not exactly breaking new ground here... but idk maybe that's the point? like maybe we're all tired of the same old rhetoric and ppl are actually listening this time 
anyway, i'm curious to see how his visit goes down in turkey... some ppl r hyped about it, others r skeptical 
got me lol!
With all these conflicts and tensions, its hard for them to focus on promoting stability and dialogue. I mean, Pope Leo is trying to bring people together and stuff, but it's like, what's the concrete plan here? Are they gonna work with the US or Russia or whoever? 
And don't even get me started on women's rights – it's awesome that Pope Leo is supporting Turkey's initiatives, but we gotta hold them accountable for their actions too 
. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit skeptical about this whole visit being symbolic 
, but at the same time, it's dope to see some positivity coming out of it 
. Let's hope Pope Leo can make a real impact and bring some peace to the region 
, given that Turkey's been trying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia. it feels like a step back from what Pope Francis was saying about this being a "third world war". still, gotta give the pope points for acknowledging Thanksgiving 
... who knew he'd be gifting pumpkin pies on his plane? 
. it'll be interesting to see how this visit plays out in turkey and what kind of impact the pope's message will have 
its gonna be lit! 
just saw that Pope Leo XIV is in Turkey promoting stability & dialogue... feels like a step in the right direction, but can't help wondering how much influence he'll really have here? 
) when Pope Leo is done there.
, and corruption's still a thing 
. Pope Leo's message was all well and good, but it feels like a bit of a slap in the face for some folks 
. And hey, at least the pumpkin pies were a nice touch 
It's like, if you're trying to make a positive impact, do you really want to focus on a country that's struggling with stuff?