Pope Leo XIV marks a high point of his first foreign trip to Turkey with a pilgrimage to the site where early Christian church leaders met 1,700 years ago under the auspices of the Roman Emperor Constantine to host the Council of Nicaea.

Pope Leo struggles to unveil a plaque commemorating his visit to Turkey:: Istanbul, Turkey:: November 28, 2025Church staff and security personnel rushed to help him pull down the curtain which was covering the plaque on the wall and had snagged on the marble.

Pope Leo XIV makes historic first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon, marking 1,700 years since Council of Nicaea while supporting persecuted Christians.

Ahead of his visit, Leo shared a Thanksgiving message with NBC News encouraging all people "to recognize that we have all received so many gifts."

Pope Leo XIV’s first foreign trip, to Turkey and Lebanon, will be packed with opportunities to advance relations with two of the Catholic Church’s top priorities: Orthodox Christians and Muslims

On the first of his four days in Turkey, Leo met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Later in the trip, he is set to visit local Catholic clergy and leaders of other Christian groups, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, head of the Eastern Orthodox church.

Thanksgiving is a "beautiful feast" that reminds everyone to be grateful for the gifts they have been given, Pope Leo XIV said.