Preparations underway in Turkey for Pope Leo's visit

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Pope Leo is set to visit Turkey and Lebanon later this month, marking his first trip outside Italy as the head of the Catholic Church. Preparations are underway in Turkey’s major cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Bursa for the trip.

The Pope will stay in Turkey for three days, and then head to Lebanon. 

Magdalena Wolinska-Riedi, a journalist, has arrived in Turkey from Italy to cover the Pope's visit. She told Rudaw that the pontiff wants to support Turkey's Catholic community.

During his visit to Turkey beginning Thursday, the Pope is expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, taking part in a pilgrimage that honors Christianity’s theological origins.

Sabri Anar is the Archbishop of Diyarbakir of the Chaldeans in Turkey. 

"For the church, this is the first visit outside Italy, and he's making it to Turkey because he wants to reaffirm the importance of the Council of Nicaea once again. At the same time, this visit is important for the issue of ecumenism. The Pope also wants to convey this to everyone," he told Rudaw. 

[Source: Rûdaw English]