Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to undertake his inaugural foreign trip next month, with significant visits planned for Beirut and Turkey. The pontiff will pray at the site of the catastrophic 2020 port blast in Beirut, an event that tragically killed over 200 people and exacerbated Lebanon’s profound economic and political crisis.

The Vatican confirmed the itinerary for the 27 November to 2 December journey on Monday, highlighting several key moments for history’s first American Pope. Beyond offering solace in Lebanon, the trip will see him travel to Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Christianity’s foundational ecumenical council, alongside Orthodox Christians.

This landmark journey is set to address crucial themes of interfaith and ecumenical relations, the plight of Christians across the Middle East, and broader regional tensions. The visit holds particular resonance given that Pope Francis had expressed a strong desire to visit both nations, especially Lebanon, but was prevented by the country's ongoing instability before his death earlier this year.