Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Turkey for Peace Visit

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Ankara, Turkey, on Thursday for his first foreign trip as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, delivering a message of peace and stability amid escalating global conflicts as he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and addressed the country's diplomatic corps.

The pontiff, the first American pope and a Chicago native elected in May following the death of Pope Francis, was welcomed at Esenboğa Airport by a military guard of honor. He strolled along a turquoise carpet, shaking hands with Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and other officials before heading to the presidential palace. There, after a private meeting with Erdogan, Leo spoke at a library in the palace complex, praising Turkey's position as a historic bridge between East and West, religions and cultures. "May Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace," he said, standing before a giant globe. He emphasized the need for dialogue with "firm will and patient resolve," quoting his predecessor in describing ongoing wars as a "third world war fought piecemeal," with resources diverted from addressing hunger, poverty...