VATICAN CITY (RNS) — U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey on Thursday (Nov. 27) in his first apostolic visit since becoming pontiff, and on the day when most Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving. He is expected to promote dialogue and unity with Christian denominations and Muslim faithful, while making a bid for peace in Ukraine.
The trip takes place on the 1,700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, where over 300 bishops gathered under Emperor Constantine and laid out the basis of their shared faith. They wrote the Nicene Creed, a prayer recited by nearly all Christians, and established rules for the celebration of Easter.
The motto of the pope’s trip, “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism,” reflects his intention to foster communion with Christian denominations across theological and liturgical differences. “The Council of Nicaea is not only an event of the past, but a compass guiding us toward full visible unity,” Leo said during a speech to the Nicaea symposium on June 7.
In the city of İznik, as Nicaea is known today, Leo will be joined by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide. Together they will recite the Nicene Creed and commemorate their shared roots …