Apostolic Journey to Lebanon: Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps, Beirut

Presidential Palace (Beirut)
Sunday, 30 November 2025

____________________________________

Mr President,
Distinguished Civil and Religious Authorities,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Blessed are the peacemakers!

It is a great joy for me to meet with you, and to visit this land where “peace” is much more than just a word, for here peace is a desire and a vocation; it is a gift and a work in progress. You are invested with authority in this country, each in your own area and with specific roles. It is in light of this authority that I wish to address to you the words of Jesus that have been chosen as the central theme of my journey: “Blessed are the peacemakers!” (Mt 5:9). Certainly, there are millions of Lebanese, here and throughout the world, who serve peace silently, day after day. Yet you, who have important institutional tasks within this nation, are destined for a special beatitude if you can say that you have put the goal of peace above all else. In this meeting, I would like to reflect with you a little on what it means to be peacemakers in circumstances that are highly complex, conflictual and uncertain.

In addition to Lebanon’s natural beauty and cultural riches, which have been praised by those of my predecessors who visited your country, there is a shining quality that distinguishes the Lebanese: you are a people who do not give up, but in the face of trials, always know how to rise again with courage. Your resilience is an essential characteristic of authentic peacemakers, for the work of peace is indeed a continuous starting anew. Moreover, the commitment and love for peace know no fear in the face of apparent defeat, are not daunted by disappointment, but look ahead, welcoming and embracing all situations with hope. It takes tenacity to build peace; it takes perseverance to protect and nurture life.

Examine your history, and ask yourselves: from where comes that formidable energy that has never left your people downtrodden or without hope. You are a diverse country, a community of communities, united by a common language. I am not simply referring to the Levantine Arabic, by which your great past has left inestimable treasures. Above all, I am refering to the language of hope, which has always enabled you to start again. Almost everywhere in the world around us, a kind of pessimism and sense of powerlessness seem to have taken hold, where people are no longer able to ask themselves what they can do to change the course of history. Major decisions appear to be taken by a select few, often to the detriment of the common good, as if this were an inevitable destiny. You have suffered greatly from the consequences of an economy that kills (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 53), from global instability that has devastating repercussions also in the Levant, and from the radicalization of identities and conflicts. But you have always wanted, and known how, to start again.

Lebanon can boast a vibrant, well-educated civil society, rich in young people capable of expressing the dreams and hopes of an entire nation. I encourage you, therefore, never to separate yourselves from your people, and to place yourselves with commitment and dedication at the service of your people, who are so rich in variety. May you speak just one language, namely the language of hope that, by always starting afresh, draws everyone together. May the desire to live and grow in unity as a people create a polyphonic voice out of each group. May you also be helped by those deep bonds of affection that tie so many Lebanese throughout the world to their country. They love their origins and pray for the people of which they still feel a part. They also support them through the many experiences and skills that make them so appreciated everywhere.

This brings us to a second characteristic of peacemakers. Not only do they know how to start over, but they do so first and foremost along the arduous path of reconciliation. Indeed, there are personal and collective wounds that take many years, sometimes entire generations, to heal. If they are not treated, if we do not work, for example, to heal memories, to bring together those who have suffered wrongs and injustice, it is difficult to journey towards peace. We would remain stuck, each imprisoned by our own pain and our own way of thinking. The truth, on the other hand, can only be honored through encountering one another. Each of us sees a part of the truth, knowing one aspect of it, but we cannot negate what only the other knows, what only the other sees. Truth and reconciliation only ever grow together, whether in a family, between different communities and the various people of a country, or between nations.

At the same time, there can be no lasting reconciliation without a common goal, or without openness towards a future in which good prevails over the evils that have been suffered or inflicted in the past or the present. A culture of reconciliation, therefore, does not arise only from below, from the willingness and courage of a few. It also needs authorities and institutions that recognize the common good as superior to the particular. The common good is more than the sum of many interests, for it draws together everyone’s goals as closely as possible, directing them in such a way that everyone will have more than if they were to move forward by themselves. Indeed, peace is much more than a mere balance – which is always precarious – among those who live separately while under the same roof. Peace is knowing how to live together, in communion, as reconciled people. A reconciliation that, in addition to enabling us to live together, will teach us to work together for a shared future side by side. Thus, peace becomes that abundance which will surprise us when our horizons have expanded beyond every wall and barrier. Sometimes we think that, before taking a further step, we need to clarify and resolve everything. Instead, mutual dialogue, even amid misunderstandings, is the path that leads to reconciliation. The greatest truth is that we find ourselves together as part of a plan that God has prepared so that we may become a family.

Finally, I would like to outline a third characteristic of those who strive for peace. Even when it requires sacrifice, peacemakers dare to persevere. There are times when it is easier to flee, or simply more convenient to move elsewhere. It takes real courage and foresight to stay or return to one’s own country, and to consider even somewhat difficult situations worthy of love and dedication. We know that here, as in other parts of the world, uncertainty, violence, poverty and many other threats are leading to an exodus of young people and families seeking a future elsewhere, even though it is very painful to leave one’s homeland. It is certainly necessary to recognize that much good can come to all of you from having Lebanese people spread throughout the world. However, we must not forget that remaining in our homeland and working day by day to develop a civilization of love and peace remains something very valuable.

Indeed, the Church is not only concerned about the dignity of those who move away from their own countries. She does not want anyone to be forced to leave their country. Moreover, the Church wants those who wish to return home to be able to do so safely. While human mobility represents an immense opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment, it does not erase the special ties that unite each person to certain places, to which they owe their identity in a very special way. Moroever, peace always grows in a concrete living context, made up of geographical, historical and spiritual bonds. We need to encourage those who foster and nurture them, without giving in to sectionalism or nationalism. In his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis indicated the way forward: “We need to have a global outlook to save ourselves from petty provincialism. When our house stops being a home and starts to become an enclosure, a cell, then the global comes to our rescue, like a ‘final cause’ that draws us towards our fulfilment. At the same time, though, the local has to be eagerly embraced, for it possesses something that the global does not: it is capable of being a leaven, of bringing enrichment, of sparking mechanisms of subsidiarity. Universal fraternity and social friendship are thus two inseparable and equally vital poles in every society” (n. 142).

A challenge, not only for Lebanon but for the entire Levant, is what can be done to ensure that young people in particular do not feel compelled to leave their homeland and emigrate? How can we encourage them not to seek peace elsewhere, but to find guarantees of peace and become protagonists in their own native land? In this regard, Christians and Muslims together, and all religious and civil components of Lebanese society, are called to play their part, and to commit themselves to raising awareness of this issue within the international community.

In this context, I would like to emphasize the essential role of women in the arduous and patient endeavour to preserve and build peace. Let us not forget that women have a special capacity for peace-making, because they know how to cherish and strengthen the profound bonds with life, people and places. Their participation in social and political life, as well as in their own religious communities, represents a factor of true renewal throughout the world, as does the energy that comes from young people. Blessed, therefore, are the peacemakers, and blessed are the young people who remain or who return in order that Lebanon may once again be a land full of life.

I conclude by drawing inspiration from another precious feature of your tradition, which stretches back thousands of years. You are a people who love music. On feast days, this becomes a dance, a language of joy and communion. This aspect of your culture helps us to understand that peace is not only the result of human effort, however necessary. Indeed, peace is a gift that comes from God and which, above all, dwells in our hearts. It is like an interior motion pushing outwards, enabling us to let ourselves be guided by a melody greater than ourselves, namely that of divine love. Those who dance move lightly, without trampling on the earth, harmonizing their steps with those of others. So it is with peace, which is a journey inspired by the Spirit, and causes our hearts to listen, making them more attentive and respectful towards others. May this desire for peace, which comes from God, grow among you; for even today, peace can transform the way you look at others and the way you live together in this land, a land that God deeply loves and continues to bless.

Mr President, Distinguished Authorities, I thank you once again for your welcome. Please be assured of my prayers, and those of the whole Church, for your delicate service to the common good.

Ex Aedibus Sotto Voce : Dear John

Dear Friends,

On 1st. November 2025, we were in receipt of a rather interesting email from a person we will identify as John, and to whom we wish to directly address this posting.

1. You claim to have spoken to a Senior Priest in an Irish diocese, and accuse us here in CW as being a second Pat Buckley - to which we take serious exception.

Unlike Mr Buckley, and indeed yourself John, we only deal in facts, and if, as you allege in your email, you are dealing with a senior priest who perceives us as such, then perhaps they have more to hide than they will ever tell you...or anyone else.

(a) Are you carrying out an investigation of your own John?

(b) At whose behest?

(c) For what purpose?

(d) Are you, like us, engaging with the lawful authorities in so doing?

(e) If it's not an investigation John on your part, what are you doing interfering in ongoing lawful investigations?

(f) In relation to Mr Buckley, lest anyone forget that he could barely spell the word truth never mind publish it - of which so so many are aware...and yet you had no problem in being part of a slander and smear campaign by him against others - of which you are well aware. You are more alike than perhaps you'd care to admit John.

2. Any and all evidence which we in CW (via our solicitor) do have, is forming part of ongoing criminal investigations by the necessary lawful authorities in two separate jurisdictions alongside an international lawful authority - of which we have made mention heretofore.

At no point would we here in CW ever undermine such investigations as you would seem to allege in your email to us. We respect the authority of the law of the land - even if you do not, and indeed considering the Diocese you reference, they certainly have no respect for ANY law - canonical or civil as has been well attested to thus far.

3. You make reference to Cardinal Parolin and his being aware of this website, a fact to which we are well attuned and indeed he is not the only resident of the Vatican who tunes in on  a daily basis...and yes John, we have verified evidence of that fact as well.

(g) Are you in contact with Cardinal Parolin to such a point as to claim that he awaits our evidence?

(h) If so, can you provide us with a direct dial number perhaps?

(i) Or a personal email our solicitor could use so as to initiate correspondence?

4. You claim that Bishop Fintan Monahan et al have not lost a nights sleep over CW - which is worrying as it means that he has no conscience - a fact you have now somewhat confirmed for us.

(j) Do you communicate regularly with Bishop Fintan Monahan and get updates from him relative to his sleeping patterns?

(k) Do you and Bishop Fintan Monahan laugh together at the contents of CW - as implied in your email?

5. You make reference - ill-advised as it is - to people who claim to have babies with priests only come forward for money and support. 

What a beligerent attitude and one which stinks of the Chief Shepherd of the Diocese of Killaloe ....although, without an investigation into any such allegation, he hands out money, apartments and character references so he obviously inspires your attitude also.

(l) Do you think anyone should have to look for support and money?

(m) Should the priest and the Diocese not already be providing such without it being sought?

(n) Interesting that you made no reference to the priest having procured and paid for the abortion in the matter we referred to - why?

6.  You made reference to a priest by name, whom we have informed and he is taking the matter up on a legal footing so take this as notice of such, and as referenced elsewhere in this posting, we will respect the law of the land - irrespective of where that land is located.

7. As for Bishop Fintan Monahan taking action, it is regrettable he did not initiate an investigation when the initital allegations were raised, a fact of which he was reminded by An Garda Síochána - twice in a year no less, and has still failed to action.

(o) Perhaps next time you are having your bromance chat on the phone, or indeed by email, you can ask him why he has failed to so do?

8. As for pantomimes, well John, you played a heavy hand in one when Mr Buckley was alive, and continue to still involve yourself in situations not of your business - perhaps you like the drama on an ongoing basis?

9. You make reference to Cleo and her Safeguarding obligations - perhaps you could send her the same and advise her accordingly as she seems to be remiss in carrying out her obligations and responsibilities.

Anyway John, we would offer the following words to you which we were in receipt of and indeed are very pertinent for you....

Always remember that no matter how hard people may try to hide it, or stop it, the truth always comes out in the end.

Lies and feelings presented as facts are just merely a temporary delay to an inevitability that will happen when the one in possession of the full truth decides its time, and not when you or we decide.

This is one cage that you should not have rattled.... 

AODHÁN DE FAOITE

Eagarthóir / Editor

CWI : Operation Limericiensis (9)

Well now, it has been a while since we last posted in relation to this matter and so we now need to bring you an update as is necessary.

It seems that the bould Terry O Connell is continuing with his deception of the ordinary people...and the clergy...including both bishops Leahy (Limerick) and McKeown (Derry).

Also, Revenue would do well to continue with their investigations into the ODminican Ocnvent in Limerick, and indeed the money trail between Terry's friend and sex shop owner, Michael Bridgeman.

Quick question Brendan -  how much did the Diocese pay a woman some years ago so as to keep quite that she was made pregnant (and had the baby) by a then-deacon and now Parish Priest in your Diocese?

Or rather, how much collection plate money was paid out for this 'clerical error'? 

And that's only the start of what we know Brendan.... 

Education minister Paul Givan lays down the law to school principals amid demands to halt religious assemblies

Paul Givan has written to schools clarifying their legal obligation to provide religious education and collective worship, after confusion among principals and governors following a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The News Letter has seen correspondence sent to schools from parents demanding that religious assemblies are suspended, claiming that they breach human rights. It is understood some schools were considering halting assemblies as a result.

However, the DUP education minister has now written to principals reminding them “that both Religious Education and collective worship continue to be a legal requirement”.

It comes after a ruling from the UK’s top court that the provision of Christian religious education in Northern Ireland’s schools does not comply with human rights standards – and that exercising the right to withdraw a child from collective worship could place an undue burden on parents. But judges stopped short of striking down existing legislation.

Mr Givan has said he will consider the judgment in full before determining any remedies that “both respect the law and safeguard the role of religion in education”.

In a letter to school principals, seen by the News Letter, the DUP minister said the court “held that the arrangements for religious education and collective worship in this case breached European Convention rights. It further determined that the core syllabus for Religious Education at the primary school did not provide teaching in an objective, critical, and pluralist manner and that collective worship was similarly not conveyed in such a way”.

But he added: “Significantly the Court did not strike down the existing legislation. Schools will note, therefore, that both Religious Education and collective worship continue to be a legal requirement in schools. Indeed, there is a legal obligation that they must continue”.

He cited the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, which he said makes clear that the “school day in every publicly funded school must include collective worship”.

The minister told school head that as per the law, “controlled schools must provide undenominational Religious Education based on the Holy Scriptures and collective worship that is not distinctive of any denomination”.

Mr Givan also said “comprehensive guidance” will be issued to schools in the coming weeks “to ensure consistency and legal compliance”.

It is understood some schools were considering suspending collective worship in assemblies after receiving letters from parents in light of the Supreme Court ruling. The parents argued that withdrawing their children from school assemblies over their religious content breached their human rights, and requested that the “unlawful” assemblies were stopped until guidance is produced.

In the Assembly on Monday, DUP MLA Harry Harvey raised concerns with the education minister about the issue. He said that in recent days, “some schools have been unsure about whether they have been acting lawfully by continuing with school assemblies” and asked Mr Givan to confirm that “teachers can continue with assemblies and that they are within the law in doing so”.

The minister responded: “I very much confirm that schools can continue with their collective worship and assemblies. Indeed, it would be unlawful for schools to stop collective worship and assemblies from taking place, because the law has not been struck down. If any school has been contemplating doing that, they should not, because that would be unlawful and would rightly be challenged by any parent of that school.

“In the controlled sector in particular, there is legislative underpinning for collective worship, and there are distinct legal approaches around it. When it comes to the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), boards of governors have greater responsibility for such matters, but, for controlled schools, it is the legislation, not boards of governors, that underpins collective worship. Governors have to comply with the law in that respect”.

The Department of Education is currently in the process of reviewing the curriculum for religious education in Northern Irish schools, as part of a wider overhaul – the first such review in almost two decades. It is responsible for the RE core syllabus.

Minister Givan says that under the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, the syllabus should be prepared by “a group of persons appearing to the Department to be people who have an interest in the teaching of religious education in grant-aided schools.”

He says he will set out the process for reform over coming weeks.

Popemobile-turned-health clinic finally opens in Holy Land

The former Popemobile donated by Pope Francis to Caritas Jerusalem has finally been permitted into Gaza and will soon enter service as a mobile health clinic, Caritas Jerusalem announced on Wednesday, November 26. 

The ex-Popemobile is now known as the "Vehicle of Hope."

"Yesterday morning marked a truly historic moment for Caritas Jerusalem. Right in front of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, we proudly launched the Vehicle of Hope, a former Popemobile transformed into a fully equipped mobile medical clinic that will soon serve the most vulnerable communities of the Holy Land," said a post on Caritas Jerusalem's Facebook page.

The Popemobile was used by Pope Francis during his visit to Bethlehem in 2014. It was refitted with medical equipment and given to Caritas Jerusalem, the Holy Land branch of the Catholic humanitarian agency Caritas Internationalis.

The Popemobile-turned-clinic is a "symbol of compassion, innovation, and the shared commitment of the global Caritas family," said Caritas Jerusalem.

Cameras captured every moment — the blessing, the unveiling, the messages of solidarity — as this unique vehicle begins its new mission: bringing healthcare directly to families in remote and underserved areas.

"The Vehicle of Hope is more than a clinic on wheels; it is a promise of presence, healing, and dignity," said the statement.

Vehicle of Hope blocked in June

Earlier in 2025, it looked as though the arrival of the Vehicle of Hope would be delayed indefinitely due to the Gaza War and strict controls at the Israeli border.

“We are still working in coordination with government agencies to ensure the Popemobile enters Gaza. But the borders remain closed, and in my opinion, it will not be possible in the near future,” Harout Bedrossian, press officer for Caritas Jerusalem, said at the time.

The situation at the time was "very chaotic," said Bedrossian, and the aid permitted to enter Gaza was controlled by the military.

“Something is wrong in the way we are living”: President of Zambia Catholic Bishops’ Conference on State of Nation

The President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has expressed concern that “division and anger” are slowly replacing the Southern African nation’s cohesion and sense of unity.

In his reflection on Friday, November 28, at a prayer rally for national dialogue over the Zambia’s proposed constitutional amendments, Archbishop Ignatius Chama warned that the growing divisions in the country could distance the people of God in Zambia from God’s love if allowed to persist.

“Deep inside ourselves, we are saying something is wrong in the way we are living as a nation,” the ZCCB president said during the national dialogue event that faith-based and civil society organizations held at the Pope’s Square under their umbrella body, OASIS-FORUM.

In his reflection, the Local Ordinary of Zambia’s Kasama Catholic Archdiocese acknowledged the country’s shortcomings, cautioning that the Southern African nation is gradually drifting away from “unity and oneness as a nation and replacing it with division and anger.”

“We have become a divided nation over matters that should unite us,” said the 68-year-old Zambian Catholic Church leader, referring to the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 7 of May 2025.

He further lamented, “The good story we are supposed to tell to the next generation is slowly becoming a wall to build for our failure to act in the way that unifies us as a nation.” 

Archbishop Chama recalled the unity and joy that marked the Holy Father’s 1989 Apostolic Visit to Zambia, contrasting that moment with the current mood in the Southern African nation.

“We gather in this place of happy memories for us who were there when the Pope, now St. John Paul II, visited Zambia and celebrated Mass in these very grounds where we are. We had come from all parts of Zambia in the joy of having a Pope visiting us for the first time in the history of our country. Everyone had a good story to tell and share with others,” he recalled.

The Catholic Archbishop noted that, at the time, Zambians were “united in mind and soul to receive the Pope as a country. Indeed, our motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ was a pillar of our preparations and reception of the Pope.”

“Today, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come back to this place, we come with heavy hearts. We come with a deep sense of feelings that God may be giving us,” the Local Ordinary of Kasama Archdiocese since January 2012 said.

Members of the OASIS-FORUM, which brings together faith leaders and civil society organizations in Zambia, had gathered at Pope’s Square to pray over concerns related to the proposed constitutional amendment.

Earlier, in a July 11  letter addressed to the Secretary to the Cabinet, Zambia’s church leaders, including representatives of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) jointly called for the withdrawal of the amendment “in its entirety.”

In their collective letter, the church leaders questioned the process used to enact the Bill, saying it lacked legitimacy and that it is “unconstitutional.”

The church leaders explained that their position is based not only on the law but also on “the spirit of justice, inclusivity, and constitutional integrity.”

“We reaffirm our position: Bill 7 must be withdrawn in its entirety,” the CCZ, EFZ, and ZCCB leaders said, referring to the June 27 Constitutional Court ruling, which declared the process used to enact Bill 7 unconstitutional.

The contentious Bill proposes significant changes to the Constitution of Zambia, primarily focusing on the composition and electoral system of the National Assembly and local government structures.

Key changes include increasing the number of constituency-based seats, introducing a mixed-member proportional representation system, and revising provisions related to by-elections and the term of Parliament.

Meanwhile, in his November 28 reflection during the prayer rally on national dialogue, ZCCB President expressed hope that the scheduled dialogue meeting between the OASIS FORUM and President Hakainde Hichilema, scheduled for later that afternoon, would yield positive results.

He said, “Let it be our national prayer that the dialogue that will take place in the afternoon will be inspired by the desire of every Zambian, that the laws we as people give ourselves, not given by others, will be for the promotion of a people who do justice, who love goodness, and who walk humbly with their God.”

“Dear all Zambians, wherever you are, take a moment and pray for the success of the outcome of the dialogue meeting between the head of state and Oasis Forum,” Archbishop Kasama appealed.

After Catholic School Abductions, Nigeria’s President Urges Enhanced Security at Prayer Places, Rural Boarding Schools

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged a nationwide reassessment of boarding schools located in remote or insecure regions of the West African nation, amid escalating violent attacks and kidnappings targeting students across the country.

In a statement shared on Facebook on Thursday November 27, President Tinubu stressed that insecurity is no longer limited to educational institutions, and warned that religious spaces have also become vulnerable.

He appealed to the National Assembly to expedite efforts to review legislation enabling the creation of State police in areas most affected by violence.

“Mosques and churches should constantly seek police and other security protection when they gather for prayers, especially in vulnerable areas,” the Nigerian President directed, and went on to caution, “States should rethink establishing boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security.” 

He commended the country's security agencies for rescuing 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi and the 38 worshippers in Kwara State from abductors.

President Tinubu said that the government would “continue to sustain the efforts to rescue the remaining students of Catholic School in Niger State and other Nigerians still being held hostage.”

“To the leadership and rank and file of our Armed Forces, I commend your courage and your sacrifice,” the Nigerian head of state said.

Describing “a challenging moment” for Nigeria and “for the military institution itself,” President Tinubu said, “I charge you to remain resolute, to restore peace across all theatres of operation, and to uphold the highest standards of discipline and integrity.”

“There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he added.

President Tinubu declared the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria a “national emergency”, assuring safety to civilians, especially those in war-torn States, in the West African nation that is Africa’s most populous country.

“We are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation,” he said, and continued, “Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.”

The Nigerian president authorised the recruitment of an additional 20,000 officers, “bringing the total to 50,000”.

He authorised the police to utilise various National Youth Service Corps camps as training depots for new security officers. 

President Tinubu further called upon those officers being “withdrawn from VIP guard duties” to undergo crash training to debrief them and deliver more efficient police services when deployed to security-challenged areas of the country.

He also passed the directive to recruit more men to man the forests believed to be kidnappers’ hideouts, saying, “There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil.”

Addressing longstanding tensions between herders and farming communities in various Nigerian States, President Tinubu highlighted the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) saying that the ministry is designed to provide lasting solutions to clashes.

He called on herder associations across Nigeria to end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons. 

“Ranching is now the path forward for sustainable livestock farming and national harmony. The Federal Government, in collaboration with the states, will work with you to solve this,” he said in his statement dated Wednesday, November 26.

President Tinubu also issued a warning to those fueling insecurity, saying, “Those who want to test our resolve should never mistake our restraint for weakness. This administration has the courage and determination to keep the country safe and ensure our citizens live in peace.”

He went on to express sympathy with families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara States.

The President urged Nigerian citizens not to submit to fear or despair, saying, “Let’s stand together in purpose and strength to defend our freedom and values. Our administration will continue to guarantee peaceful co-existence and preserve our union.”

He encouraged Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with security agencies in addressing violent activities in the country.

“We are in this fight together, and together we shall win. May God continue to bless Nigeria and keep our armed forces safe,” President Tinubu said in his one-page statement published on November 27.

The struggle to cope with the death of a child (Opinion)

During November I visit cemeteries. 

In Ballycastle cemetery, where my parents are buried, I spend time moving meditatively along the headstones and reading the spare words that attempt to record lived lives. 

In Doonfeeney cemetery too, where three siblings rest in the grave of my paternal grandparents. My sisters (Catherine and Anne) and my brother (Anthony) triplet children who lived the shortest of short lives but whom we fondly remember.

Remembering too relatives, neighbours and childhood friends. This year remembering a classmate in the ‘academy on the Glen Road’, Tommy Tighe, Laragan, the most recent addition to their number.

Praying too when a memory suddenly unfolds of times and seasons long past, of people and places, now fading into the mists of time.

Reflecting too on how many who were younger than I am are already gone to God and on the inevitably limited years of my own life – now that I’m on the wrong side of the biblical three-score and ten. With the inevitable diminishments of old age, progressively we find ourselves speeding towards the final curtain.

Here and there I pause when a headstone registers the death of a young child and ponder what that must have meant for parents and siblings who have had to deal with the enormity of the loss and pain that attended that life-defining event.

Inevitably, ‘Mid-Term Break’, the most popular of Seamus Heaney’s poems, comes to mind. In his early teens, his three-year old brother, Christopher, was killed crossing the road. Seamus was then a boarder in secondary school and neighbours brought him home for the funeral:

In the porch I met my father crying – 

He had always taken funerals in his stride...

My mother held my hand 

In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs...

Snowdrops and candles soothed the bedside...

He lay in the four foot box as in his cot...

A four foot box, a foot for every year.

The enduring popularity of Heaney’s poem is unsurprising as it has become a ready framework presenting in spare, simple words, the nightmare of grieving parents pining for their dead children. While every child is different and every grief has its own unique pattern, losing a child enlarges the loss and pain because those who travel that journey touch on ‘the tears of things’, the deepest and most elemental experience of life and death. And only those who traverse that gruelling terrain – sometimes for life – can know what it means.

Recently I was gifted a book, The Death of a Child. It’s a collection of a dozen essays, in which those who have lost a child tell their stories in the hope that they may help others experiencing a similar grief. And that this might afford an insight to those families, friends and loved ones who witness their suffering to know what to do and what not to do – even to know what to say and what not to say.

Catherine Dunne, an Irish novelist, writes about her second son, Eoin, who was stillborn in 1991. She felt the silence in the ward. She heard a young resident say, ‘No FH’. 

'What does it mean?' she asks. 

Her doctor Patricia, crosses the room and takes her free hand. She doesn’t need an answer, as Patricia’s eyes fill, over and over. 

‘It means,’ Patricia says, ‘no foetal heartbeat. I’m so sorry, Catherine.’ 

‘The baby’s dead,’ Catherine says, more a statement than a question.

‘Yes,' Patricia says, pressing her hand.

The midwife wraps Eoin in green blankets and hands him to Catherine. He didn’t suffer, the midwife assures her, it was just like going to sleep.

Some days later, Catherine wrote: ‘People told me it would take time. And it did but not in the way they meant. Time was stolen from me; it sneaked away, disappearing around corners while I wasn’t looking. Days lost their definition, blurring sleepily into night. Weeks tumbled one into the other. I washed, dressed, cooked, cleaned, drove, ironed, supervised homework and cried. The one thing I didn’t do was look at the still-open suitcase on my bedroom floor. At all those hopeful packets that I hadn’t the chance to take with me to the hospital. Vests, Babygros, nappies.'

Catherine never knew the restlessness she experienced in the weeks that followed. She walked, paced, fidgeted, round the garden, round the bedroom, round the kitchen table. She wondered why people crossed the street when they saw her. And why conversation was as bright and brittle as glass; and how she should respond to those who told her that she ‘had an angel in heaven’ or that she would have another one, as if babies were not irreplaceable.

At a meeting of ISLANDS (The Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society), the philosopher/writer, John O’Donoghue gave voice to what Catherine and others were feeling: guilt; a sense of failure; a loss of faith in the future; pure, blind fury and the need to blame someone – God, doctors, someone. Go ahead, rage away at God, O’Donoghue told them, 'He has shoulders big enough to take it'.

Gradually, she began to learn ‘how to step from one island to the next, remaking myself as I go'. 

'The wastelands in between become easier to bear because now, at last, they are infinite spaces.’ 

It is a sea of sadness, a river of optimism, of how fierce are the bonds of love for children: ‘What consumed me above all was not depression. It was the acute sadness of separation, of the loss of hopes and dreams. And having to come to terms with the unthinkable: parents are not supposed to die before their children.'

In time, Catherine discovered, grief ceased to ambush her; it moves to a different register; it acquired a new tone; it came from a different place; a place where consciousness of loss was overlaid by an engagement with the present.

Say a prayer, if that is part of what you do, for the parents of those struggling to cope with the death of their children, as are the parents of the young who died so tragically in County Louth last week.

St. Charbel Makhlouf, a symbol of coexistence and support for Lebanon

In the Mount Lebanon region of Jbeil, perched on top of a hill at an altitude of 1200 meters, from where in the distance one can see the Mediterranean sea, is the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, the resting place of St. Charbel Makhlouf.

This Lebanese Maronite monk and hermit lived from 1828 to 1898 and led a life of extreme asceticism and devotion to God. 

Today, he is known for numerous miraculous healings attributed to his intercession, earning him the veneration of not only Christians and Catholics but also Muslims and people of other faiths.

Millions of people visit his resting place every year, and now for the first time, a Pope will as well. On the second leg of his apostolic journey that takes him to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV will pray at the tomb of St. Charbel on December 1.

For Father Youssef Matta, one of 16 Maronite monks who live in the Monastery, the Pope’s visit “invokes healing from divisions and corruption, transforming the hope for physical healing from St. Charbel, into hope for healing” for Lebanon as a nation, but also for the Middle East and the whole world and its various conflicts.

This saint, he continued, is “a symbol of solidarity and of strengthening of Lebanese interreligious coexistence” and the Pope’s visit is “a historic recognition of St. Charbel’s role in the world and a powerful message of support and hope for a country in crisis.”

“The miracle worker for humanity”

Father Matta explained that there are two main reasons for St. Charbel’s “interreligious charm”. The first is the numerous miraculous healings attributed to his intercession, which are “perceived as a divine intervention that makes no distinction between Christians and Muslims,” Father Matta emphasized.

“The concrete result is that grace transcends specific doctrine. He is the miracle worker for humanity, and he does not care so much about religion in the strict sense.”

In fact, miracles started occurring as early as a couple of months after his death in 1898, with several monks saying they saw his tomb illuminated by unnatural lights. Later, it was opened, and his body was found to be incorrupt and exuding blood and water. Slowly, his reputation for holiness started spreading, and then Paul VI both beatified and canonized him in 1965 and 1977, respectively.

A life lived in seclusion while being close to God

The second reason for his popularity is “his asceticism, his life as a hermit, in poverty, and with a total devotion to God,” Father Matta emphasized.

St. Charbel joined the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1851, took his vows of obedience, poverty and chastity at the Monastery of St. Maron in 1853 and was then ordained in 1859. After 16 years of living in the Monastery with the other religious, he became a hermit and stayed in the hermitage for 23 years until his death in 1898 on Christmas Eve. 

Father Matta explained that St. Charbel focused on prayer and work, which is “an ideal of spiritual purity revered in all Eastern religious traditions - Christian, Islamic, Druze - and even non-Eastern.”

St. Charbel “transcends religious divisions” and “represents a rare point of contact and common hope for all Lebanese denominations,” Father Matta highlighted.

In fact, given the difficult context that Lebanon is facing due to successive crises and conflicts that have plagued the nation in the last decades, “St. Charbel conveys hope, representing trust in help from above when earthly solutions fail,” he insisted.

 “He is a rare symbol of coexistence and peace, demonstrating that spiritual strength can unite the different religions that politics divides.”

The Pope’s visit shows Lebanon has not been abandoned   

The fact that Pope Leo XIV will now be the first Pope to visit the tomb of St. Charbel is a source of “great joy and pride in Lebanon,” Father Matta underlined. His prayer at this saint’s resting place “transmits transcendent hope. It shows that Lebanon has not been abandoned, that there is a divine force that goes beyond politics and is capable of resolving crises.”

The visit “communicates spiritual unity,” he continued. “His Holiness's prayer exalts St. Charbel as a symbol of coexistence, as he is venerated by all faiths. It reinforces Lebanon's role as a land of dialogue and peace among all religions.”

It is a “strong call to simple faith and a gesture of solidarity for the ethical and spiritual reconstruction of Lebanon,” Father Matta said. He explained how the visit to the tomb will shed light and bring attention to a “country in difficulty.”

The monks at the Monastery have been preparing to welcome the Pope. The visit will see the participation of various religious and political authorities and will feature, among other things, greetings between the participants, moments of communal and private prayer and an exchange of significant gifts.

The government has also declared that in Lebanon, December 1 and 2 will be public holidays in order to allow people to participate in the papal events.

The Pope’s visit will restore dignity and hope

For Father Matta, the Pope’s visit in general will be “a spiritual and moral catalyst whose purpose is to restore dignity and hope to the people.” “The Pope brings comfort to an exhausted people, invoking moral healing and a miracle for the nation, symbol of closeness to the Lebanese population,” he said.

He believes that on a national level, the journey will strengthen “Lebanon's role as a land of dialogue between Christians and Muslims and a message of peace for the region and for all the places where there is war.”

Internationally, instead, it will put a spotlight on the nation, “reigniting international attention on the crisis-stricken country” and “urging the global community not to forget it and encouraging internal stability, not only in Lebanon but throughout the Middle East.”

While at the local Church level, Father Matta emphasized that the Pope’s journey is an “encouragement to the Lebanese church, not only Maronite Catholic, but to all Eastern churches and the Christian community, especially in the face of emigration.”

“It will reaffirm the historical importance of these communities in the Middle East, because there are so many young Lebanese who are leaving the country to seek work elsewhere in order to survive,” he insisted.

The legacy of a large family of Lebanese saints

St. Charbel Makhlouf is also part of a large family of Lebanese saints that include for example St. Maron, founder of the Maronite Church; St. Rafka, a nun known for her resilience in the face of sickness; Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad, a Capuchin friar who founded various schools and hospitals that are still active today; or the Maronite Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy, who was beatified just last year in August 2024.

The Pope's visit to St. Charbel’s tomb will also highlight this heritage of the Lebanese Church. For Father Matta, the legacy of these saints “offers strength in suffering” as it is “a testimony that contemplative prayer and faith endure even in contexts of great instability and pain.”

He also said it shows the richness of the Eastern Churches and their loyalty to Rome, as “they can serve as a bridge between East and West.” Like St. Charbel’s example, the lives of these saints and blesseds demonstrate “how holiness, especially through miracles, can be a factor of unity that transcends confessional divisions and invites us to stay attached to our territory.”

“This network of saints is a warning, a lifeline for Lebanon in its current crisis. A resilient identity, sainthood is proof that Lebanon's true strength lies in its spiritual roots, not in politics or economics,” Father Matta concluded.

“Their moral example, their lives of poverty and righteousness, is a powerful reminder against the corruption that has torn the nation and the country apart. We count on these saints.”

Rt Rev Nicholas Hudson Installed as Bishop of Plymouth

The Right Reverend Nicholas Hudson was installed as the Bishop of Plymouth at the Cathedral Church of St Mary & St Boniface, Plymouth on the Patronal Feast Day of St Cuthbert Mayne, Saturday 29th November 2025.

Senior Catholic clergy, including His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Most Reverend John Wilson, Metropolitan Archbishop of Southwark and archbishops and bishops from England and Wales attended the Installation Mass.

The Bull of Appointment from Pope Leo XIV highlighted the Church's confidence in Bishop Nicholas's appointment:

"We thought of you, having carefully considered your pastoral achievements in the duties you have undertaken in the Archdiocese of Westminster, together with your spiritual and human gifts and your expertise in administration, which make you suitable for advancement to this greater office."

Parishioners from across Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, priests and deacons of the Diocese of Plymouth, priests from other dioceses and religious orders, Abbots, Bishops of England and Wales, the Anglican Bishop of Exeter and the Anglican Bishop of Plymouth, ecumenical representatives from other Christian denominations, interfaith leaders, civic dignitaries including the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Devon, and the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, the Chief Superintendent of Devon & Cornwall Police, the Group Commander of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue, the Lord Mayor of Plymouth and the Lord Mayor of Exeter, diocesan trustees, school leaders from Catholic education institutions and charity representatives all attended the Mass of Installation.

In his Installation homily, Bishop Nicholas reflected on the martyrdom of St Cuthbert Mayne, who ascended the scaffold in Launceston 448 years ago (or, according to some sources, the following day). He described how St Cuthbert Mayne had been found in possession of two forbidden objects: a papal bull like the one brought to us this day by the Apostolic Nuncio; the other, an Agnus Dei - the Agnus Dei being a wax image of the Lamb of God which Fr Cuthbert bore around his neck. Bishop Nicholas said that St Cuthbert Mayne was the first martyr to have been trained in Douai, across the water in France, and that he had chosen to return from Douai to keep alive the faith of Catholics in Cornwall.

The bishop spoke of how St Cuthbert Mayne had heard the Lord's call to feed the lambs, to feed the sheep, to look after the sheep; and come. Passing, by day, as a steward, by night Fr Cuthbert would don the vestments of a priest to feed the flock with the sacraments. Bishop Nicholas explained that this would have been impossible without the courageous help of nobleman Francis Tregian, who allowed Fr Cuthbert to work out of his house at Probus in Cornwall; and to travel across his estates. Tregian paid the price of life imprisonment and the seizure of all his estates; Fr Cuthbert the price of death by hanging, drawing and quartering.

Bishop Nicholas emphasised that lay and ordained, they knew themselves to share responsibility - with others - for the mission here in England's South-West. He highlighted the key partnerships - the partnership of lay and ordained for mission which Pope St John Paul II coined as 'co-responsibility' in his reflection following the Synod on the Laity in 1988. The bishop shared that Mission, the Mission, is the word all those Colleges abroad used - and still use to this day - to describe the call to build up and nurture the Church at home, adding that it's a mission more urgent today than ever, especially as the Church prepares to celebrate in eight years' time, the Great Jubilee of 2033, the 2000 Anniversary of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bishop Nicholas spoke of encouraging shoots of recovery, referencing The Quiet Revival, a recent academic study which identified an upsurge in the number of people - especially young men - coming to church in this country. He said this rings true with what's being reported from many parishes across the land. However, he identified a twofold challenge: we need in our communities to help these new and returning Catholics really to find their place in their Church; and to draw many more people - both young and old - to Christ and the life of the sacraments.

Speaking of the more recent Synods, which took place in Rome in 2023 and 2024, Bishop Nicholas explained that they identified this responsibility as a 'co-responsibility' - taking up and developing the term coined by Pope John Paul II. These Synods were clear that helping individuals find their place in the Church is something for which clergy and laity alike bear a shared responsibility. He emphasised that the key to knowing how we do it, how we organise ourselves to welcome, according to the latest Synod, is to deepen our listening. The bishop said: "that we need to deepen the quality of our listening to the Spirit, to one another, and to our context; our listening to every generation in the Church - but with a special attentiveness to the young, to the poor, to the marginalised, to those who stand on the outside looking in."

Bishop Nicholas also spoke of evangelisation, a priority for Pope Leo and noting that Popes from St John Paul II to Benedict XVI to Francis have all been clear that evangelisation - the sharing of our faith - needs to be all-embracing; that it's aimed at three distinct categories - at those who belong to Christ and His Church, at those who no longer belong, as well as at those who never belonged. He said: "To us who belong to Christ and his Church the onus is to find ways of telling others who is this Jesus whom we love and worship." He added that this is about communicating our relationship with Christ, in word and deed and in such a way that causes people to ask, "Who is this Jesus whom you love and worship?"

In his post-communion address, Bishop Nicholas expressed gratitude to everyone who had a part in preparing the wonderful celebration. He wished to thank in particular the Dean, Canon Mark O'Keeffe, for the way he coordinated all the arrangements and to all who worked with him to provide such a special celebration.

Bishop Nicholas said that "the person for whom loudest thanks are surely due this day must be our outgoing Diocesan Administrator, Canon Paul Cummins." He added: "Paul, it's clear to me that the Diocese shall be in your eternal debt for the selfless way in which you've led the whole Diocesan community these last three and a half years. These last few weeks, I've experienced myself the quality of your leadership as you've done everything you possibly could to induct me. Paul, it's clear, from all the reports I hear of your leadership, that what you have achieved has been simply outstanding. And I want you to know we salute you and we congratulate you."

Bishop Nicholas also said: "I'd like, in the same breath, to thank all those who've come alongside Paul so willingly to support him - the Curial Team for Mission, all who exercise particular responsibilities in the Diocese; and, in a special way, the Clergy. Dear Fathers, dear Deacons, I look forward to meeting you all in your Deaneries and then individually as soon as I able. I look forward to hearing what's been your experience of these last several years; and what it tells us about the ways in which we might develop as a community of faith."

Bishop Nicholas spoke of his desire to visit the parishes and schools and other institutions across the three counties, quoting Pope Francis's description of the bishop: "The bishop ... will sometimes go before his people," he suggests, "pointing the way and keeping their hope vibrant. At other times, he will simply be in their midst with his unassuming and merciful presence. At yet other times, he will have to walk after them, helping those who lag behind and - above all - allowing the flock to strike out on new paths." He said "I look forward to being with you in all three places - but to beginning in your midst and hearing your aspirations for the Diocese. And I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible after this Mass and in the weeks and months to come."

As the new Bishop of Plymouth, Bishop Nicholas will lead a diocese that serves a Catholic population of approximately 11,293 across 57 parishes and 37 schools throughout the three counties.

He has chosen "In Te Domine Speramus - In you, O Lord, we hope" from Psalm 31 as his motto.

Pope Leo XIV on his way to Lebanon

The aircraft carrying Pope Leo XIV is on its way to Beirut where he is about to begin the second leg of his apostolic journey to Türkiye and Lebanon.

Just after 3 p.m. (local time), the Ita Airways Airbus A320neo carrying Pope Leo XIV departed from Istanbul–Atatürk International Airport bound for Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, where the Pope will remain until Tuesday, 2 December, for the second leg of his first apostolic journey.

The Pope’s 4-day visit to Türkiye

Thus, the Pope’s four-day visit to Türkiye comes to its conclusion. Amongst the highlights of the visit is the commemoration, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and heads and representatives of Christian Churches around the world, of the 1700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council in history, held in Nicaea, today İznik.

On that occasion, Pope Leo called for overcoming “the scandal of divisions” and asked everyone to foster “unity.”

Welcome in Lebanon

Upon his arrival at Beirut airport, which is named after former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, who was killed together with his security officials in an attack on 14 February 2005, the Pope will be received by the Apostolic Nuncio and the Head of Protocol of Lebanon.

Vatican’s 2025 Christmas tree installed in St. Peter’s Square

A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter’s Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. 

The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy’s Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the 17th century Baroque square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

This year, the northern Italian municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo gifted the Christmas tree to the Vatican. The tree was harvested in the alpine valley of Ultimo.

In an Oct. 20 interview published on the Vatican State website, Bishop Ivo Muser of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone said the tree reaffirms the local church’s “spiritual and emotional bond” with the pope. 

“It is a way of saying: ‘We are with you, Pope Leo; we wish to pray with you and share the joy of Christmas with you,” he said.

“The tree thus becomes an ‘ambassador’ of our territory, our culture, and our faith — a way of bringing a small piece of our local Church into the heart of the universal Church,” he added.

The Vatican’s large-scale nativity display — donated by the Italian Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno — is currently under construction behind covered fencing in St. Peter’s Square.

The highly-awaited 2025 nativity scene will honor St. Alphonus Maria de Liguori, whose remains lay in the southern Italian diocese. In Italy, St. Alponsus is famous for composing the famous Italian Christmas carol “Tu scendi dalle stelle” (“From starry skies descending”).

Bishop Giuseppe Giudice of the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno said the nativity project for the Vatican, which involved a “long period of preparation,” will also showcase local Neapolitan Christmas traditions.  

“I am happy to say that everyone working on the project is from our wonderful region, and the Nativity scene will be rich in elements typical of our local Agro nocerino-sarnese area,” he said in an Oct. 24 interviewpublished by Vatican City State.  

The Vatican will hold a special ceremony on Dec. 7 at 6:30 pm local time to present  the Christmas tree and nativity scene to the public. The display will be open to the public until mid-January 2026.

Pope wraps up Türkiye visit as he reaches out to Orthodox community

Pope Leo XIV's first trip to Türkiye ended on Sunday after four days. 

The pontiff, who received warm welcome by Türkiye's Christian community, was set to depart for Lebanon with a message of peace for the crisis-mired nation.

On the last day of his visit, his first trip overseas since being elected leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, Leo participated in several Sunday services in another demonstration of his desire for greater unity among different branches of the Church.

At the Armenian Cathedral, Leo said had words of encouragement for the largest of Türkiye's Christian communities that counts some 50,000 members, thanking God "for the courageous Christian witness of the Armenian people throughout history, often amid tragic circumstances."

It was an apparent nod to mass deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman rule between 1915 and 1916. Türkiye rejects the term of genocide for mass deaths, something that soured the relations with Armenia.

"The Armenian people do not forget the popes who raised their voice in our times of suffering, who stood with Christian communities in danger and who upheld truth when the world hesitated," Armenian Patriarch Sahak Mashalian said. And he prayed Leo's influence would help ensure the safety of "vulnerable Christian communities" in the Middle East, saying: "May the good Lord make you an angel of peace in those bleeding lands to herald glad tidings of enduring peace among war-worn peoples."

Pope Francis did not visit any Armenian sites during his visit to Türkiye in 2014, but on his way to the airport before departing, he made an unscripted stop at a hospital where the ailing Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II was being treated. A year later, Francis drew Ankara's ire by referring to the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman era as "the first genocide of the 20th century.” He later visited Armenia, where he again used the term genocide.

Leo's visit comes as Türkiye and Armenia appear to be moving closer toward a normalization of their ties and the pontiff's visit is likely to lend support to those efforts, said Richard Giragosian, the founding director of the Regional Studies Center based in Yerevan, Armenia.

"More than just the symbolic importance of bringing the Vatican closer to the Armenian Church in terms of the eastern religion outreach, (the visit) is also, in some ways, promoting Armenia-Turkish normalization,” Giragosian told AP.

Türkiye and Armenia have no formal diplomatic ties and their border has remained closed since the 1990s. In 2021, the countries agreed to work toward normalization, appointing special envoys to explore steps toward reconciliation and reopening the frontier. Those talks have progressed in parallel with efforts to ease tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a close Turkish ally. Türkiye supported Azerbaijan during its 2020 conflict with Armenia for control of the Armenian-occupied Karabakh region. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Türkiye in June for talks with President Erdoğan. He later told a group of Turkish journalists in Yerevan that pursuing international recognition of the genocide is not among his government’s priorities, while emphasizing the genocide is an "indisputable fact” for Armenians.

The American pope then went to take part in a divine liturgy, the Orthodox equivalent of mass, at the Patriarchal Church of St. George, its glittering interior echoing with chants and ancient liturgy, the air filled with incense.

But before all his public duties, Leo met privately with a bereaved father whose 14-year-old Italian Turkish son died in February after being stabbed at a market in Istanbul.

"Today I cried, but I cried tears of joy, I came for Mattia Ahmet," Italian chef Andrea Minguzzi said of his son in remarks to reporters afterwards, thanking the pope for meeting him and "fulfilling one of the greatest dreams of my life.”

"I wrote a letter two weeks ago and he received us today. I asked him for his support for our mission of peace and brotherhood. He is praying. This may be the best thing for us," he said, fighting back tears.

Leo was to have lunch with Patriarch Bartholomew I, the leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, a day after they signed a joint declaration pledging to take "new and courageous steps on the path towards unity."

Despite doctrinal differences that led to the Great Schism of 1054 that divided Christians between the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church, the two sides maintain dialogue and hold joint celebrations.

Pope Leo, the fifth pontiff to visit Türkiye, after Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in 2014, began his trip by holding talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Then he travelled to Iznik for a celebration marking 1,700 years since the First Council of Nicaea, one of the early Church's most important gatherings.

In Istanbul on Saturday, thousands of worshippers braved heavy rain to celebrate mass with him, with many travelling across Türkiye to join the multilingual service that left participants and observers deeply moved by its beautiful and haunting choral interludes.

The six-day two-nation trip is the first major international test for the first pope from the United States, who was elected head of the Catholic Church in May and whose understated style contrasts with that of his charismatic and impulsive predecessor, Francis.

Although Leo's visit drew little attention in Türkiye, a Muslim-majority nation of 86 million whose Christian community numbers only around 100,000, it is eagerly awaited in Lebanon, a religiously diverse country of 5.8 million inhabitants.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been ravaged by crises, including an economic collapse, a devastating port blast in Beirut in 2020 and the recent war with Israel.

Speaking to Daily Sabah on Friday, a professor at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Özcan Hıdır, described the pope’s visit as theo-political and stated: “The most important aim of the visit is not theological but rather theo-political. Accordingly, through his multifaceted diplomacy concerning both the Western and Islamic worlds, the pope wishes to deliver a message from Türkiye saying ‘We can cross the threshold of peace together,’ since Türkiye is one of the most crucial actors in resolving chaos-ridden areas such as the Gaza crisis, Syria and the Russia-Ukraine war.”

Welcomed by high-ranking Turkish officials, Pope Leo XVI and Erdoğan held a meeting in Ankara on Thursday at the Presidential Complex. The two leaders discussed Türkiye-Vatican relations as well as current regional and global issues, particularly focusing on the genocide in Gaza and efforts to ensure stability in the Middle East.

“Izmit holds a 'privileged' position for Vatican-papal visits. The three-day visit to Türkiye, which is rarely seen in diplomacy, is on the occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, regarded as a “unifying platform” where the theological backbone of Christianity was shaped,” Hıdır said.

The 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is considered a milestone in the Church's history. Convened in A.D. 325 by Emperor Constantine, the council gathered leaders from across the Roman Empire and produced the Nicene Creed, which is a declaration of the faith in one God in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The creed still remains a foundation of Christian doctrine today.

Moreover, Bekir Zakir Çoban, a professor from Izmir Ege University, pointed out the significance of Pope Leo’s Türkiye trip and the diplomatic ties between Türkiye-Vatican. “He is the head of a significant community in the world and carries certain titles, such as being the representative of Jesus, the successor of Peter. This is a religious title. But at the same time, he is welcomed with official protocol, because he is also a head of state with whom Türkiye has had diplomatic relations since 1960,” he noted and added, “The fact that the current pope, Leo XIV, is making his first visit to Türkiye is also meaningful. This increases the importance of the messages he will give here, both religiously and politically, especially underlining Türkiye’s position in the region. From a religious perspective, these are the lands where Christianity was born, shaped and formed.”

After meeting the pope, President Erdoğan said they discussed bilateral relations as well as “current issues that concern the collective conscience of humanity,” including forced migration, poverty, injustice, climate change and ongoing conflicts around the world. He called the visit “a very important step” that reinforces common ground between the two sides and expressed hope that their meeting would bring “benefit to all humanity.”

Esma Çakır, a senior journalist based in Rome, also noted that, “The developments in the Middle East and Ukraine – which directly concern Christians – are among the pope’s priorities. Türkiye, with its geographical and historical significance, offers him a remarkable opportunity to deliver a message of peace."

Emphasizing Türkiye’s key role in regional tensions and global crisis, she described Türkiye and the Vatican as “responsible humanitarian actors” on the international stage, asserting: “Türkiye and the Vatican both support a two-state solution in the Palestinian question. Pope Francis, who passed away in April, enabled the Vatican’s recognition of Palestine as a state in 2015. Pope Leo XIV uses a more cautious tone compared to his Argentine predecessor. He frequently expressed his deep sorrow over what has been happening in Gaza and called for immediate humanitarian aid for civilians, as well as a cease-fire and peace.”

“Türkiye’s role as an important actor within the Islamic world and the Vatican’s choice of Türkiye for this visit signals not conflict or division based on faith, but a pursuit of mutual understanding and dialogue,” she also noted.

Referring to his upcoming engagements in Türkiye and Lebanon, Pope Leo reiterated his intention to stress the importance of peace for everyone in the world. He also called on all people to unite in pursuing peace, noting that despite differences in religion and beliefs, humanity is fundamentally connected, and he hopes to contribute to efforts promoting peace and global unity.

In this respect, Hıdır stated that Türkiye’s growing impact in the region and “the fact that the Patriarch of Jerusalem delivered to President Erdoğan the 'emanname' (letter of protection) that Caliph Omar gave to Christians in Jerusalem during the conquest is meaningful. This will bring about a diplomatic shift in the world from geo-politics to theo-politics, or what can be called religious-cultural diplomacy, revealing the growing importance of theo-politics.”

Regarding the Catholic and Orthodox Church’s meeting, comments such as “the churches are uniting” would not be accurate, Çoban noted, stressing that: “This is a courtesy meeting. It is also important for the peace message to be given together. With reference to the Council of Nicaea, the pope previously described it as one of the most fundamental elements that united Christians. Indeed, it is. It can almost be said that the Council of Nicaea is the only point where all Christians united. However, as I mentioned, the issue of the churches uniting is not possible because these churches are completely different in cultural, religious and ritual aspects.”

“Despite lacking military or economic power, the Vatican positions itself as a strong soft power actor in international relations through its moral authority, historical legacy and religious influence,” Çakır indicated.