Pope Leo XIV arrived on 28 November in the Turkish city of İznik, in the province of Bursa, to take part with several Orthodox patriarchs in a ceremony commemorating the Council of Nicaea, held in 325. The ceremony, organised on the shores of Lake İznik, brought together the Supreme Pontiff – on an official visit to Turkey – as well as Patriarch Bartholomew – head of the Orthodox Church – and other Christian leaders on the occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of that historic meeting which gave rise to the famous Nicene creed, recited today by millions of faithful around the world.
Leo XIV flew by helicopter from Istanbul to İznik to join in a common prayer of Catholics and Orthodox which is the key moment of his visit to Turkey. According to Turkish media such as Hürriyet, the Christian leaders lit candles and prayed at the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of St Neophytos, whose stone foundations – recently exposed by the receding waters of the lake – are considered one of the main sites where the Council of Nicaea was held 17 centuries ago. The service alternated between Catholic and Orthodox hymns, underlining the ecumenical character of the event.
Before his arrival in İznik, the Pope had stated that the Nicene creed is not just a doctrinal formula, but “the essential core of the Christian faith“. “Today, all humanity, stricken by violence and conflict, cries out for reconciliation,” he said during the religious ceremony held in İznik, ancient Nicaea, where the early Church Fathers drew up the Nicene Creed – still in force in most Christian branches – which establishes belief in one God, concepts such as the Trinity, and the divinity of Christ.
The Pontiff arrived in Ankara yesterday with a message focused on peace, which he also conveyed to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during their meeting in the Turkish capital. In Istanbul, where he began his visit this morning, he was received by the country’s small Catholic community – some 33,000 faithful in a nation of 85 million, mostly Sunni Muslims – whom he encouraged to find strength in their minority, stressing that “Christians contribute to the unity of Türkiye”. His arrival at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was greeted with cheers of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa”.
The ceremony organised on Friday in İznik (Nicaea) – with prayers in English, Greek and Arabic and candles lit next to the submerged remains of a 4th century basilica – is the main reason for his three-day trip to Turkey. On 29 November he is due to meet Bartholomew and other Christian leaders in Istanbul, visit the Blue Mosque and celebrate a mass at the Volkswagen Arena, and on Sunday he will leave for Lebanon, the last stop on his tour and first international trip since his election as head of the Catholic Church.
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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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