STORY: Pope Leo XIV prayed in Istanbul's Patriarchal Church of Saint George on Saturday (November 29) in his first visit as leader of the Catholic Church to a Muslim place of worship during his four-day visit to Turkey.

The pope is visiting Turkey until Sunday (November 30) and will then proceed to Lebanon, during his first overseas trip as pontiff.

Leo, a relative unknown on the world stage before becoming pope in May, is being closely watched as he makes his first speeches overseas and interacts for the first time with people outside mainly Catholic Italy.

Turkey has only about 33,000 Catholics in a population of some 85 million, Vatican statistics show, but it was once home to important early Christian saints such as the apostles Philip, Paul and John.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 29, 2025) (ISTANBUL ECUMENICAL ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF POPE LEO ARRIVING TO CHURCH UNDER WHITE UMBRELLA

2. VARIOUS OF LEO WALKING THROUGH ORTHODOX PRIESTS

3. POPE ENTERING BUILDING WITH ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE, BARTHOLOMEW I, KISSING BOOK

4. POPE AND BARTHOLOMEW LIGHTING CANDLE, PLACING IN SAND

5. POPE AND OTHERS WALKING IN HALLWAY

6. POPE AND BARTHOLOMEW ENTERING CHAMBER

7. PRIESTS WALKING WITH GOLDEN BOOK

8. MASS CONGREGATED

9. POPE AND BARTHOLOMEW STANDING ON PLATFORM

10. PRIESTS, POPE DURING MASS

11. BARTHOLOMEW BLESSING HIMSELF

12. PEOPLE DURING MASS

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO XIV, SAYING:

“Allow me to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude for your warm welcome and your kind words of greeting.”

14. VARIOUS OF POPE DURING MASS

15. MURAL ON WALL

16. PEOPLE CONGREGATED DURING MASS