Pope Francis will visit Turkey on 26 May to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, in the present-day Turkish city of İznik, according to an announcement by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Istanbul, Bartholomew I, despite the current delicate state of health of the 88-year-old Supreme Pontiff.
The news have been confirmed by Bartholomew I in statements reported by the Turkish edition of the German newspaper Deutsche Welle and echoed by Turkish media. The long-awaited visit of Pope Francis to Turkey was announced almost a year ago (although without a specific date), despite the fact that by then the growing health and mobility problems of the Pope were already a matter of concern; already then, the Pope had been forced to travel in a wheelchair due to a problem with his knee and had considerably reduced his public appearances and his trips abroad.
The main reason for the Pope’s trip to the Eurasian country is, however, of great importance: it is to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the historic Council of Nicaea, convened in the year 325 by the Emperor Constantine the Great in the Roman city of Nicaea (today İznik, in the Turkish province of Bursa) and considered to be the first great council of Christianity, as it was here that the main Christian bishops met to address vital theological questions for the early Christians, such as establishing the true nature of Jesus Christ and his relationship with God. This led to the so-called Creed of Nicaea, a pillar of Christianity that established fundamental concepts such as the Holy Trinity.
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople has expressed his hope that Pope Francis, 88 years old, will recover in time for his visit to Turkey, and said he is praying for the health of the Pontiff, who has been admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome since 14 February due to a bilateral pneumonia. The Vatican has been providing regular updates on the Pope’s health; according to the latest chest X-rays, he appears to be responding positively to treatment and is no longer in ‘imminent danger’, although he will have to continue under strict medical supervision and with oxygen supplementation. Precisely, today marks the 12th anniversary of his pontificate, although given the circumstances, no special event is planned.
Great expectation in Nicaea for the Pope’s trip to Turkey
For the time being, the Vatican remains cautious with regard to Pope Francis’ agenda for the coming months, at least officially, and the details of his trip to Turkey have not been revealed. According to the Turkish press, and based on the initial agenda, it is expected that during his visit to Turkey the Pope will meet Bartholomew I in Istanbul and hold an ecumenical meeting at the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople in Fener, visiting several emblematic places in the city such as Hagia Sophia; then he will travel to İznik, where the famous Christian council was held 1,700 years ago.
Francis’ visit to Nicaea has aroused great expectation in İznik, today a small town of just over 40,000 inhabitants located on the shores of the lake of the same name, but which preserves numerous remains of its Roman and Byzantine past, including some impressive walls. ‘The Pope’s arrival will contribute enormously to the recognition of İznik worldwide, and will increase its potential for tourism,’ said officials from the city’s archaeological museum.
If Pope Francis’ visit to Turkey is finally confirmed, it would be the second time the Roman Pontiff has visited Türkiye, following the first visit of the Pope at the end of November 2014, when he travelled around the country for three days visiting Ankara and Istanbul and meeting with political and religious authorities, in what was considered at the time a key trip for promoting inter religious dialogue.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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