Catholic faithful express their joy as they celebrated Mass with Pope Leo XIV at Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.

During the Mass Leo urged Turkey’s tiny Catholic community, which numbers around 33,000 in a country of 85 million, mostly Sunny Muslims, to forge “bonds of unity” with other Christians and people of other faiths as an invitation to become peacemakers.

Those attending in the area, which can seat more than 4,500 people, were overjoyed at seeing the pope.

"As an Armenian Catholic, being here, witnessing this moment, and praying together in Turkey like this for world peace is very meaningful," said attendee Milanda Oven.

The Mass came on the penultimate day of Leo’s maiden trip.

On Sunday he leaves for Beirut.

Earlier Saturday Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and met with Turkey’s Christian leaders at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem.

Leo also prayed in the patriarchal church in Istanbul of the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians in another gesture of unity.

AP video shot by Mehmet Guzel