The pontiff signed a historic and symbolic joint declaration with the Patriach, committing to unity between their churches. As part of his trip, Pope Leo XIV also visited Istanbul's iconic Blue Mosque, but reportedly did not pray.
During his trip to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV arrived at the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Saturday, on his first apostolic journey since his election. The visit, historic and symbolic in nature, focused on Christian reconciliation and fostering peace amid many global conflicts.
The pontiff was welcomed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the entrance of the Patriarchal Church of St. George. After jointly lighting a candle and venerating the holy icon, the two entered the church together for a doxology.
Among those in attendance were Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, prelates of the Churches of Constantinople and Rome, US Secretary of State Michael Rigas, Religion and Diplomacy advisor at the European Union, Konstantinos Alexandris, as well as other diplomatic representatives.
Following the doxology and before a private meeting, the pontiff and Patriarch signed a joined declaration or unity among Christians, under which the two vowed to work on finding a way for Catholic and Orthodox churches to set a common date for Easter.
While the statement didn't commit to a specific date, it did read: “It is our shared desire to continue the process of exploring a possible solution for celebrating together the Feast of Feasts every year.”
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV also visited Istanbul’s iconic Blue Mosque. The pontiff took off his shoes and bowed before entering the mosque, but reportedly did not pray like his predecessors had.
The Vatican initially reported the pontiff had stopped briefly to pray at the mosque, but later corrected the official record to say he visited “in a spirit of contemplation and listening, with deep respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there in prayer".
This is pontiff's first foreign trip. He is expected to visit Lebanon next. Pope Leo XIV is history's first American pope, and is expected to speak in broader terms about peace in the Middle East.