Pope Leo XIV visited İznik in Türkiye for his first international trip, marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The Pope held a praying service at the historic basilica, the site of the original 325 council convened by Roman Emperor Constantine. Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul also addressed the event.
Thousands of visitors gathered under heavy security, with around 2,500 police and gendarmerie deployed. The service was broadcast live by numerous international media outlets. The Pope arrived by helicopter, with strict access restrictions around İznik Stadium.
The visit, seen as a symbolic call for unity and inter-church dialogue, coincided with the 105th anniversary of İznik’s liberation from enemy forces.