BEIRUT (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV left Turkey on Sunday (Nov. 30) for the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, where he met with government officials in the conflict-ridden and financially troubled country, home to one of the largest Christian communities in the Middle East.
While on the plane between the two countries, Leo spoke to reporters on board about the significance of his visit to Turkey, where he commemorated the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and voiced his message for peace, especially in Ukraine and in the Holy Land. The pope expressed his hope that he and the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew might in 2033 celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus together in the Holy Land.
The pope underlined the Holy See’s support for a two-state solution, with an Israeli state living side by side with an independent Palestinian state, but recognized that “Israel still doesn’t accept this solution.” He told reporters that he discussed the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, Leo said, is aligned with the Holy See’s proposal and that Turkey “has an important role it could play.”
The war in Ukraine is also a main concern for the Vatican, which has been actively involved with offering …