The decision of the new pope – remarkable already as the first American pontiff – to make his inaugural international visit to Türkiye and Lebanon in November 2025 is a choice laden with symbolism. From the outset, he has signaled a personal style distinct from his predecessors: speaking publicly in English, when the occasion arises, rather than Italian, addressing global audiences with clarity and accessibility, and projecting a leader who aims to speak directly to the world’s most sensitive geopolitical and interfaith tensions.
By selecting Türkiye and Lebanon as his first destinations, the pope is making a deliberate statement. These two countries are not only modern political actors but also the cradles of early Christianity. Much of the Christian narrative was born on these lands stretching from Palestine to Türkiye; the apostles walked in today’s Anatolia; the earliest church flourished in Antioch (modern Antakya city) in Türkiye; and Lebanon housed some of the most enduring Maronite, Melkite and
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