Pope Leo XIV concluded his first international trip this week, during which he visited Turkey and Lebanon. During this pilgrimage, the Pope emphasized ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, as well as the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
A group of Schoenstatters from Russia accompanied the Pope on his visit to the region.
Elena Prosvetova recounts:
“Council of Nicaea 1700 Years” is the name we gave to our group of pilgrims from Russia, which brought together Catholics from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, and Vladimir. Auxiliary Bishop Nikolai Dubinin, Fathers Sergio Zuev and Viacheslav Gorokhov accompanied us. Six members of the Schoenstatt Movement also participated in this pilgrimage.
The highlight was Holy Mass with Pope Leo. For me, it was the first time I had participated in a joint Holy Mass, which brought together about 5,000 people in Istanbul. Several choirs participated in the Mass and impressed me with their voices. In his homily, Pope Leo exhorted us, Catholics, Christians, and representatives of other faiths, to improve our everyday world, to multiply the light, and to build relationships in the spirit of brotherhood and co-creation. His call to build bridges, not walls, between people is very relevant to our time.
A special greeting from the MTA
On the last day of the pilgrimage, the group visited the Church of St. Anthony in Istanbul. There, they found a special image: “Our Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt was waiting for us. We interpreted this as a sign, a kind of blessing from the Lord through Mary: Nothing without you, nothing without us!”
Pilgrim of hope
In times of war and tension worldwide, the Pope, as a pilgrim of hope, emphasized dialogue as a necessary path, a dialogue marked by “firmness and patience.”
This pilgrimage to Turkey and Lebanon took place from November 27 to December 2. “Today, human communities are increasingly polarized and torn apart by extreme positions that fragment them,” said the Holy Father, so “we should respond to this with a culture that appreciates affection and personal connection. For it is only together that we can become our authentic selves.” [1]
The Pope returned to Rome on Tuesday and mentioned in an interview that he also wishes to visit countries in Africa and America in the future.
Translation: Sr. M. Lourdes Macías