The pontiff's first visit abroad has prompted land-grab allegations, with some Turks also seeing it as a violation of the republic's secularist principles

Pope Leo XIV warned of “conflict on the global level” in an impassioned address to civic leaders and lawmakers in Turkey, against the backdrop of several wars in the region. “We are now experiencing a phase marked by heightened level of conflict on the global level,

The Chicago-born pope's visit comes as Turkey, a country of more than 85 million people of predominantly Sunni Muslims, has cast itself as a key intermediary in efforts to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

The pontiff begins a trip to Turkey and Lebanon on Thursday — the first foreign voyage of his papacy, and his biggest test yet.

Pope Leo XIV condemned the use of religion for justifying “war,” “violence” or “fanaticism” on Friday – instead urging Catholics to mobilize their faith and unify others “regardless of ethnicity, nationality,

Parishioners of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul welcomed Pope Leo XIV today with profound emotion and vibrant hope.