Early Sunday morning, news broke that the Vatican’s chartered Airbus 320 carrying Pope Leo had taken off for Lebanon. Exciting, right? It’s been four days since Pope Leo set out on his first international pilgrimage, and I can’t help but wonder—does this peace pilgrimage to the Middle East feel like something we all want?
On the flight from Rome, I actually enjoyed some pie. Seriously, I was seated next to a coworker who had brought a pecan pie—smelled amazing. And behind me, two other colleagues treated our Chicago-born pope to a homemade pumpkin pie. He seemed so happy! Our Thanksgiving meal may not have been overly glamorous, but it did come with menus, real silverware, and cloth napkins, which felt pretty nice.
Pope Leo XIV visits Lebanon amid economic struggles and security worries
After three packed days, a mass was held Saturday night for Istanbul’s small Catholic community of more than 4,000. I sat next to my colleague Elise Harris, who was the first baker allowed to meet Pope Leo (how cool is that?). He baked one of those exquisite pumpkin pies. When Pope Leo walked by, swinging incense, he nodded in our direction and blessed us—what a moment!
During his homily, the pope emphasized themes of peace and unity, which he reiterated on Thursday with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, and again with Jewish leaders in Istanbul on Friday. He also visited Iznik that day to join Orthodox patriarchs and commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
After meeting and praying with Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Orthodox Church, he signed a joint declaration for Christian unity. Yet, he also highlighted the importance of connecting with non-Christians. “Religion is too often exploited to justify war and atrocities,” he remarked. “To be peacemakers, we must dismantle the barriers of prejudice and trust each other.”
Pope Leo XIV kicks off first foreign tour in Türkiye, exploring early Christianity’s roots
Interestingly, one individual who wasn’t allowed to meet the pope in Iznik is Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish man who shot and seriously injured Pope John Paul II back in 1981. Agca, released in 2010, now resides in Iznik and has never clarified his motives for the attempt. Reports suggest he expressed a desire to meet Pope Leo but instead was escorted out of town.
Sometimes history indeed echoes.
I recall being in Istanbul in 2006 covering Pope Benedict XVI’s visit, meant to mend relations after his controversial remarks about Islam in Germany. He made headlines by bowing his head near the Blue Mosque, resulting in a colleague’s exclamation that “The Pope is praying!” I thought, well, maybe he is. But how do you justify that significance in just a few seconds on air?
Pope Francis also visited the Blue Mosque in 2014 for a public prayer, so it seemed likely that our current pope would follow suit. The Vatican even suggested he would. However, on Saturday morning, we “Vaticanists” entered the mosque, removing our shoes and wearing scarves, and it was evident there would be no formal gesture.
Later, spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated that the pope visited the mosque “in silence, in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect.” This description fits the essence of the 70-year-old Midwestern pope quite well.
Upon being elected to lead over 1.4 billion Catholics and stepping onto the global stage six months ago, his first words were, “Peace be with you.” Yet, it might be too early to assess how his themes of unity and brotherhood will resonate in a region marred by conflict.
