While the 82 journalists (from some 15 countries) aboard the plane that took Leo XVI to Turkey could have hardly been more welcoming and exuberant, the reception in Ankara wasn't quite so warm.
A little over six months after his election, the Holy Father added another checkmark to his papal resume by honoring two promises made by his predecessor: to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in Turkey and to console a Lebanon bled dry after years of crisis.
Joyful and relaxed -- and mindful that it was Thanksgiving -- the Pope spoke to the press in English before making his way down the aisle to receive personalized gifts from many of them (including pumpkin pie!)
It is likely that the impromptu press conferences on Tuesday evenings at Castel Gandolfo have trained the pope for this -- as one of the journalists even pointed out -- as he seems now more open and relaxed with the media. In any case, he is reviving the traditions established by his predecessors, such as setting the tone for an upcoming trip by speaking to journalists on the papal flight.
He said that in both Turkey and Lebanon, the aim is to "proclaim how important peace is for the world." But he also emphasized the ecumenical dimension of the visit, emphasizing the search for “harmony” despite differences.
The warmth of the plane was rather a contrast with a restrained reception in Ankara. On the airport tarmac and throughout the papal convoy's journey, there was little sign of excitement.
Leo XIV will no doubt have to wait until Lebanon to experience the effect that the arrival of a pope can have on a fervent population.
A political first speech
In the Turkish capital, the Pope fully assumed his role as head of state.
His first gesture was to lay a wreath on the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. This is not a new initiative — his predecessors did the same — but it is highly symbolic in light of developments in Erdogan's Turkey.
While the country has been undergoing an authoritarian shift in recent years and the Islamization of society is being embraced, the Pope paid tribute to the architect of secular Turkey.
In his speech to the Turkish president and the country's authorities, the new Pope did not hesitate to subtly warn them with a few messages.
"A society is alive if it has a plurality," he said, under the majestic dome of the National Library, built in the gigantic presidential palace complex commissioned by Erdogan.
This speech was an opportunity for the Pope to call Turkey of its geopolitical responsibility. While the Turkish president intends to exert influence in the new world order, particularly in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the situation in Gaza, the Pope expressed his hope that the country would be “a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace.”
As for the fate of Christian minorities in Turkey, the Pope diplomatically recalled Christians have been present there since the origins of Christianity.
I willingly assure you that Christians desire to contribute positively to the unity of your country. They are, and feel part of, Turkish identity, which was highly esteemed Saint John XXIII, whom you remember as the “Turkish Pope” for the deep friendship that always bound him to your people.
After the highly formal visit to Ankara, Leo XIV will begin his ecumenical pilgrimage tomorrow by meeting his Christian brothers in Iznik. In front of the ruins of an ancient basilica built in Nicaea, he will recite the Creed. The leader of the world's smallest state will this time step forward as the Successor of Peter.
Follow his full itinerary here.
