Shouts of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa” (Long live the pope ) have reverberated throughout Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by enthusiastic cheering and applause, as Pope Leo XIV arrived to commence his first trip in Turkiye.

The pope led a prayer service with Turkish Catholic clergy and religious sisters before turning to the primary purpose of his visit—the first of his pontificate. He will mark the 1,700th anniversary of a pivotal moment in Christianity: the 325 AD Council of Nicaea, where bishops formulated the Nicene Creed, a declaration of faith still recited by millions of Christians worldwide. The creed professes belief in one God, acknowledges Jesus as the human son of God, and the Holy Spirit as an equal person in the Trinity.

This historic council occurred

See Full Page