Pope Leo XIV called for humanity to “walk together” and to take part in peace building efforts, as he celebrated his first Mass overseas since becoming pontiff in May.
Addressing a congregation of thousands from more than 70 countries at an arena in Istanbul, Pope Leo called for a breaking down of “walls of prejudice and mistrust”, and to “give to all a strong message of hope and an invitation to become ‘peacemakers’”.
As well as the American Pope’s first overseas Mass, the service was the first public Mass ever led by a pontiff in Turkey. The leader of the world’s Roman Catholics is in the country on his first foreign tour since his appointment in May, as he attempts to spread a message of unity between faiths.
“It’s a great blessing and joy to participate in Pope Leo XIV’s first foreign journey,” Father Paul Kass Daoud, 41, a Syriac Catholic Syrian living in Stockholm, told The National. “With God’s will, it will touch people’s hearts.”
Dressed in richly embroidered purple robes, the pontiff was joined on stage at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena by bishops, priests and other church officials as he led prayers read by worshippers in English, Turkish, Arabic, Armenian and Italian.
In his homily, the 70-year-old Pope spoke of the importance of unity between Catholics, Christians of different denominations, and with members of non-Christian communities – a theme that has been one of his key messages throughout his time in Turkey. On Sunday, he is to travel to Lebanon for the second leg of his six-day tour.
Addressing the pontiff on stage, Latin Catholic Bishop of Istanbul, Father Massimiliano Palinuro, said Turkey was a place where Christians and Muslims had lived alongside each other for centuries. “Here, we learn to appreciate each other’s richness and to live as brothers and sisters, breaking down the walls of age old prejudices,” he said, to rapturous applause from the congregation.
Some worshippers had made signs reading “Pope Leo, I love you”, while others waved Turkish, Spanish and Polish flags.
Turkey stands to benefit from hosting the Pope both religiously and politically by displaying its diversity, said Nuri Kilinc. He is a member of a Syriac Catholic Church that opened in Istanbul in 2023, the first church to open in Turkey in over a century.
“For the minorities living in Turkey, it’s a very pleasing event,” he told The National. “Politically, of course, there’s the reality that our Turkey has lived together with these minorities for many years. It’s very heartening.”
The country’s 86 million strong population is majority Sunni Muslim and less than 0.5% of the population is Christian, although estimates on exact numbers vary. Turkey is secular in its constitution, but Christians often report prejudice against them in the country. In the past two decades there have been at least three fatal attacks on churches and members of the clergy.
The Mass has strengthened their sense of community, said Okan, a Turkish Christian. “It was a very emotional moment,” he said. “It was a very nice feeling to have so many Christians together, for the Pope to greet us, to greet Turkey.”
The Pope’s visit would not change much for Turkey’s Muslim majority, he added. Some Turks opposed the trip over accusations that it was an attempt to make territorial claims.
But Okan welcomed a decision by Turkish authorities to allow the Mass to take place in a large arena, and the efforts of Turkish officials and security forces in organising the event.
“They protected us very well, they protected the Pope very well,” he said.
The Pope’s message condemning the use of religion to justify violence resonated with Fr Daoud, originally from northern Syria. His country also has a Christian minority, whose rights President Ahmad Al Shara has vowed to protect since taking power after the fall of Bashar Al Assad last year.
“This is specifically call for us to go back to using religion as a tool for peace and communication,” he said. “Religion does not distinguish between us, and doesn’t permit us to attack others.”
Christians have feared that fatal violence against other Syrian minority groups, including the Druze and the Alawite groups, may also reach them. Extremists also bombed a church in Damascus in June, killing dozens of people.
Asked what he hoped for fellow Christians in his country, all Syrians regardless of their religion, should be allowed to express themselves freely in a democratic manner, Fr Daoud said.
“I hope that all Syrians are given a chance to express their will in order to live in a democratic way after the long years of the way they lived. I hope our God and all the people responsible let this people decide.”
Foreign Christians travelled to Turkey from as far as Argentina to see the Pope.
“It’s a blessing,” Mercedes Rumi, 29, from the town of Carmen de Areco in the South American country, told The National after the Pope, enveloped in a thick scent of incense, walked past her at the end of the Mass.
His message about the importance of unity between faiths was particularly important, she said.
“I liked it when he spoke about the connections between Muslims and Christians, and how religions are all the same, it’s just about loving and respecting each other,” she said.
The Pope will meet more Christian leaders on Sunday morning before flying to the Lebanese capital Beirut, where he is due to be greeted at the airport by President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and other senior officials.
