As part of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Turkey, preparations continue in Istanbul at places of worship where he will take part in events.
The Pope’s first visit to a foreign country will take place in his sixth month in office and will also include Lebanon.
Pope Leo XIV will arrive on November 27 for an official visit to Turkey. After attending events in Ankara, he will arrive in Istanbul in the evening.
As part of the visit program, on November 28, Friday, the Pope will meet with bishops, priests, deacons and clergy at the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit (Cathedral of the Holy Spirit) in Harbiyeh, and then visit the French Orphanage.
Pope 14th Leo will then travel by helicopter to Iznik, where, after completing the program, he will return the same day to Istanbul to meet with bishops at the Vatican Mission.
On Saturday, November 29, he will visit the Sultanahmet Mosque and Mor Ephrem Syrian Orthodox Church in the morning, where he will meet with local parishioners and leaders of Christian communities.
Next stops will be St. George’s Church and the Fener Greek Patriarchate. Here the Pope will meet with Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew and sign a joint statement.
The program of Pope Leo, the 14th head of the Vatican, will continue on Saturday with a service that will take place at the Volkswagen Arena.
On Sunday, November 30, in the afternoon, the Pontiff will fly from Ataturk Airport to Beirut.
Preparations have accelerated
In Pope Leo’s 14th program in Istanbul has accelerated preparations at the places of worship he will visit. Security measures have been strengthened around and inside places of worship.
At the Fener Patriarchate, security measures are being strengthened and preparations continue at full speed. Security measures have also been taken in the first church built in the history of the Republic – the Syrian Orthodox Church of Mor Ephraim in Bakirkoy.
On the day of the visit of Pope Leo XIV, a fire truck and an ambulance will be on duty at this church. The church has prepared a room for the Pope to rest. The Vatican flag is raised in front of the church.
A table has also been set in the church for a meeting with leaders of local churches and Christian communities.
Responsible for places of worship reported that these churches and cathedrals have been closed to the public for about a week, except for religious services. Preparations for the Pope’s visit continue.