Pope Leo Meets Middle East Christian Leaders, Condemns Violence in the Name of Religion

Reuters

Pope Leo XIV participates in an ecumenical prayer service near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos, during his first apostolic journey, in Iznik, Türkiye, 28 November, 2025.

Pope Leo on Friday condemned the use of religion to justify violence, delivering a strong call for unity and reconciliation at a landmark gathering of Christian leaders from across the Middle East. The event, held in the Turkish town of Iznik—historically known as Nicaea—marked the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed was established.

Addressing senior clerics from Türkiye, Egypt, Syria, Israel and other countries, Pope Leo said it was a “scandal” that the world’s 2.6 billion Christians remained divided after centuries of schism and rivalry.

“Today, the whole of humanity, afflicted by violence and conflict, is crying out for reconciliation,” he said. “We must firmly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism. The path forward is one of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation.”

The ceremony, which included prayers in English, Greek and Arabic, saw Church leaders gather near the submerged ruins of a fourth-century basilica on the shores of Lake İznik. It formed the centrepiece of Pope Leo’s four-day visit to predominantly Muslim Türkiye—his first overseas trip since becoming the first U.S. pontiff in May.

Despite their shared origins, Christian communities began to diverge almost a millennium ago, most notably with the East–West Schism of 1054, followed by further divisions during and after the Protestant Reformation.

Pope Leo said that overcoming these differences would send “a message of peace and universal fraternity that transcends the boundaries of our communities and nations”.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians, attended the ceremony and urged Church leaders to “move forward together”. The Russian Orthodox Church, which severed ties with Bartholomew in 2018 over his recognition of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, did not attend.

During his visit to Istanbul earlier on Friday, Pope Leo met members of Türkiye’s small Catholic community, encouraging them to focus on supporting migrants rather than seeking political influence. Türkiye hosts nearly four million foreign nationals, including large numbers of Syrians, Afghans, Iranians and Iraqis.

Peace is expected to be a central theme of Pope Leo’s upcoming visit to Lebanon, which begins on Sunday. Lebanese leaders hope the visit will draw international attention as the country grapples with economic crisis, the strain of hosting one million refugees, and heightened tensions driven by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Source: Reuters



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