Pope Leo XIV will pray at the site of the explosion that occurred in 2020 in the port of Beirut during the first international trip of his pontificate, in November, which will also take him to Turkey, the Vatican announced today.
The Vatican released this Monday the itinerary for Leo XIV’s trip, which will take place between November 27th and December 2nd, with the trip to Lebanon serving to pray in memory of the more than 200 people who died in the explosion in the port area of Beirut in August 2020, while during the visit to Turkey it will mark an important anniversary with Orthodox Christians.
The program includes several moments in which the first North American pope in history will address interreligious and ecumenical relations, as well as the situation of Christians in the Middle East and regional tensions in general. His predecessor, Pope Francis, had planned to visit both countries, but died earlier this year before being able to do so. He particularly wanted to go to Lebanon, but the economic and political crisis that is shaking the country prevented Francis from visiting.
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The main reason for Leo XIV’s trip to Türkiye this year is the celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council in Christianity.
Leo XIV made it clear, since the beginning of his pontificate, in May this year, that he would maintain Francis’ commitment and has planned several moments of prayer with the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I.
Nicaea, currently located in Iznik, next to a lake southeast of Istanbul, is one of the seven ecumenical councils recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Leo XIV will travel there by helicopter, on November 28, for a brief prayer at the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytus.
In addition to the traditional protocol visits to Turkish and Lebanese leaders, meetings with Catholic clergy and liturgical celebrations, Leo XIV’s visit to the site of the Beirut port explosion, which took place on August 4, 2020, should be another of the highlights of the trip, scheduled for the last day.
The explosion devastated the Lebanese capital after the detonation of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse.
The strong explosion killed at least 218 peopleaccording to a count by the American news agency Associated Press (AP), injured more than six thousand and destroyed much of Beirut, causing billions of dollars in damage. The Lebanese population was outraged by the tragedy, associated with alleged government negligence, worsening an economic crisis caused by decades of corruption and financial crimes.
However, the investigation into the causes of the explosion was repeatedly blocked and, five years later, no one responsible has been convicted.~
MOHAMED AZAKIR/Reuters
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During his stay in Lebanon, the Pope will celebrate a mass in the riverside area of Beirut and will visit some locations close to the Lebanese capital, but the itinerary does not include several locations, such as southern Lebanon, devastated by last year’s war between Israel and the Shiite armed group Hezbollah.
Although the destruction was mainly concentrated in Shiite communities, which constitute Hezbollah’s main support base, Christian communities were also affected, with homes, agricultural land and even churches destroyed. Christian groups in southern Lebanon had called for the Pope to visit the region.
In Türkiye, there are no plans for Leo XIV to visit the emblematic and current Hagia Sophia Mosque, located in the historic center of Istanbul, as previous popes have done. The former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire, was a museum when Pope Francis visited in 2014.
But, in 2020, the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reversed the building’s status, returning it to its function as a mosque and reopening it to Muslim worship. At the time, Francisco said he was “deeply saddened” by the decision.
Despite conservation works on its historic domes, Hagia Sophia remains open to visitors and the faithful. Leo XIV will visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, close to where Hagia Sophia is located.