During the Sunday Angelus prayer, after his visit to Turkey and Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV thanked many people who made it possible, and the faithful who accompanied him with their prayers. The Pope emphasized that the support of those prayers truly accompanied him during his first apostolic journey.
In Turkey the Pope met representatives of various Christian denominations and commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The Pope expressed joy at the opportunity to meet the Catholic community in Turkey, which, he said, bears witness to the Gospel of love through patient dialogue and service to the suffering. Catholics in Turkey are very few; the population is predominantly Muslim.
Regarding Lebanon, the Pope added that the country remains a “mosaic of coexistence,” specifying that he was encouraged by the testimony of many people that representatives of different faiths can collaborate on the same territory. “I met people who proclaim the Gospel, welcome displaced persons, visit prisoners and share bread with those in need, and assist their neighbors together with members of other faiths,” he said.
“I was encouraged to see so many people on the streets greeting me, and I was deeply moved by meeting the relatives of the victims of the Beirut port explosion,” the Pope said, adding that, in addition to words of consolation, he in turn gained a much greater insight into the faith and enthusiasm of these people.
“What has taken place in Turkey and Lebanon in recent days teaches us that peace is possible,” concluded Pope Leo XIV at the Angelus prayer in Rome on December 7, “and that Christians can help build it up through dialogue with men and women of other faiths and cultures.”
Pray for peace in the world, as the Pope asks all of us to do daily.
Source: Vatican News, 8.12.2025