Pope Francis plans to visit Türkiye next year

ISTANBUL

Pope Francis is planning to visit Türkiye next year to mark the 1,700th anniversary of a key event in the Christian world, says Bartholomew, the spiritual head of Orthodox Christians.

Speaking during an event held in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 16, Bartholomew stated that Pope Francis expressed his desire to commemorate the first Council of Nicaea, convened in 325, where prominent religious scholars gathered to discuss theological differences.

This ecumenical council was the first of many efforts to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all Christendom, resulting in the formulation of the Nicene Creed in today’s İznik district located in the Turkish northwestern province of Bursa.

Before going to İznik, the Pope plans to visit Istanbul, he said, adding has a committee has been formed to prepare for the visit.

The Vatican will soon be in contact with the Turkish authorities regarding the visit, Bartholomew said.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis on May 17 confirmed that a once-every-quarter-century holy year would be held in 2025, setting off a race against time for Rome and the Vatican to prepare for more than 30 million pilgrims from around the world.

The pontiff called on rich nations to cancel the debts of the poor as he announced that the Jubilee year would start on Dec. 24. But the Vatican made no mention of preparations for the influx.

The papal bull said the holy year would end on Jan. 6, 2026.