Particle News: Vatican Confirms Pope Leo XIV’s First Foreign Trip to Turkey and Lebanon in Late November

Overview

Pope Leo XIV will visit Turkey on Nov. 27–30, then travel to Lebanon on Nov. 30–Dec. 2 on his debut trip abroad.
The Turkey leg includes a pilgrimage to Iznik marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
In Lebanon, the pope is expected to honor victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and highlight the situation of Christians in the region.
The Vatican said a full, city-by-city itinerary will be released in due course, while Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun shared the dates on X.
The announcement comes as the Holy See navigates sensitive Gaza diplomacy, with Israel’s embassy to the Holy See criticizing recent comments by Cardinal Pietro Parolin.