Pope Leo XIV to visit Turkey and Lebanon on first foreign trip, says he'll bring message of peace

Описание: (7 Oct 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Castel Gandolfo, Lazio, Italy – 7 October 2025
1. Pope Leo XIV coming out of gate of Palazzo Barberini at Castel Gandolfo and approaching media
2. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Pope Leo XIV:
"Really it has been two very painful years. Two years ago with this terrorist act, I don't know 1,200 people died and so we really have to think a lot about how much hate exists in the world and starting with ourselves by asking the question, why does it exist and what can we can do? Then in two years 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, even that is really something to make us think how much violence and how much evil man is capable of, no?"
3. Cars in Pope’s escort entering gate at Castel Gandolfo
4. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Pope Leo XIV:
"We must reduce hate, we must return to the ability to dialogue, to seek peaceful solutions. Of course, groups that cause terrorism cannot, we cannot accept and must always reject this style of hate in the world."
5. Vatican flag
6. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Pope Leo XIV:
"At the same time, these truly worrying acts of anti-Semitism—I do not know if they are increasing or not – but they are worrying. We must always promote peace and respect the dignity of all people. This is the Church's message. We pray, you know, that as a Church we have asked everyone to pray, especially during this month, for peace, and we will also try, in the form that is available to the Church, to promote dialogue, as always. Thank you."
7. Palazzo Barberini
8. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Pope Leo XIV:
"Turkey for the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, I think this is an important journey that Pope Francis wanted to take. For all Christians it is truly a moment of authentic unity in faith that we must not miss. It is an historic moment but not to look back as much as to look forward. Lebanon, the opportunity to announce once again the message of peace in the Middle East and in a country that has also suffered so much. Pope Francis wanted to go there too and he wanted to give this hug to the people of Lebanon for after the explosion, after everything they suffered. We will try to bring this message of peace and hope."
9. Vatican flag
10. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Pope Leo XIV (on his new encyclical on the world's poor):
"Certainly. That is, I think that the message of the Gospel, in the end, is what the Pope can say or can announce, it must always have its roots in the Gospel, what we want to try to do. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
11. Various of Pope greeting faithful before getting in car and leaving
12. Wide of central piazza in Castel Gandolfo
STORYLINE:
Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday his first foreign trip, to Turkey and Lebanon next month, would provide a historic opportunity to promote Christian unity while bringing a message of peace and hope to Lebanon's long-suffering people and the broader Middle East.

Leo outlined the trip, announced by the Vatican Tuesday on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, during an encounter with reporters as he left the papal country estate south of Rome.

Leo will travel first to Turkey from Nov. 27-30, then Lebanon from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The trip to Turkey will include a pilgrimage to Iznik to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, Christianity's first ecumenical council.

The anniversary is an important moment in Catholic-Orthodox relations, since the 325 A.D. Nicea meeting predates the schisms that divided Christianity’s East from West and is accepted by Catholic and Orthodox churches alike.













AP Video by Silvia Stellacci



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