Pope Leo XIV considers historic visits to Turkey and Ukraine
The Italian newspaper "La Repubblica" reports that Pope Leo XIV will likely make his first trip to Nicaea in Turkey to commemorate the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The Pope would also like to visit Ukraine. However, this visit will depend on the ongoing development of peace negotiations, according to the report.
One of the first leaders to contact the Pope was the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. In a cordial phone conversation, Zelensky invited the Pope to make an apostolic visit to Kyiv, emphasizing that such a visit would bring genuine hope to all believers and the entire Ukrainian nation.
The conversation also covered the topic of peace in Ukraine and the fate of children deported by Russia. Zelensky thanked the Pope for his support and discussed the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. He emphasized Ukraine's readiness for further negotiations and expressed the expectation that Russia would take similar steps.
Both parties agreed to remain in contact and plan a personal meeting in the future. The invitation to Kyiv is both symbolic and strategic—a visit by the Pope to a war-torn country would be an unprecedented gesture of solidarity and support, reports "La Repubblica".
Although Ukraine is one of the main topics, Pope Leon XIV is also considering other destinations for his first international trips.
Is Turkey the first destination?
Among the destinations is Nicaea in Turkey, where an ecumenical meeting would be held to mark the anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
"While in the case of Ukraine, we will have to wait for potential peace negotiations to clarify the situation, Leon XIV’s first trip may be to attend the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in Turkey," indicates the Italian newspaper.
Such a visit would be significant for the dialogue between Christians of different denominations. The Pope has not yet announced specific dates or locations, emphasizing that a Cardinal’s plans may differ from those made once he is the Pope.
In conversations with journalists, Leon XIV also addressed questions about potential visits to Fatima, the United States (his country of origin), and Peru, where he worked for many years as a missionary and bishop. While he ruled out a quick return to the USA, he suggested that concrete information about a visit to Peru might soon become available.
Source: "La Repubblica"
