Pope Leo to pray at tomb of St. Charbel during first apostolic journey to Turkey, Lebanon The Vatican on Monday released the full program for Pope Leo XIV\u2019s first apostolic journey, which will take him to Turkey and Lebanon from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2. The trip will center on two key moments: a pilgrimage to \u0130znik (ancient Nicaea) to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea and a visit to the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf in Lebanon. The Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 by Emperor Constantine, was a turning point in Christian history. It produced the original formulation of the Nicene Creed \u2014 later adopted as the universal profession of faith \u2014 and set out to unify the date of Easter across the Church. Turkey: Honoring Christian unity and dialogue The pope will depart from Rome\u2019s Fiumicino Airport on Thursday, Nov. 27, arriving in Ankara at midday. Following an official welcome, he will visit the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atat\u00fcrk, founder of the Turkish Republic, and meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan and members of civil society and the diplomatic corps. That evening, he will travel to Istanbul. On Friday, Nov. 28, the Holy Father will begin the day with prayer alongside bishops, priests, deacons, and pastoral workers at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Later, he will visit a home for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. In the afternoon, he will travel by helicopter to \u0130znik for an ecumenical prayer gathering near the ruins of the ancient Basilica of St. Neophytus, recalling the First Council of Nicaea, which affirmed Christ as \u201cGod from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.\u201d Back in Istanbul that evening, the pope will meet privately with the country\u2019s bishops. Saturday\u2019s schedule includes visits to the Blue Mosque and the nearby Hagia Sophia, symbols of interreligious dialogue and Christian heritage. He will meet privately with leaders of other Christian Churches at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem, then join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for a doxology and the signing of a joint declaration at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. The day will conclude with Mass at the Volkswagen Arena, where the pope will deliver his homily. Lebanon: Prayer at St. Charbel\u2019s tomb and solidarity with a wounded nation On Sunday, Nov. 30, the pope will visit the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul before departing for Beirut. There he will be welcomed by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun \u2014 elected in January after more than two years of political stalemate \u2014 and meet with other national leaders. Lebanon\u2019s confessional political system, established by the 1943 National Pact and reaffirmed in the 1989 Taif Agreement, reserves the presidency for a Maronite Christian, the premiership for a Sunni Muslim, and the parliamentary speakership for a Shiite Muslim. On Monday, Dec. 1, Pope Leo will travel to Annaya to pray at the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf, the 19th-century Maronite monk venerated for his holiness and miracles. Later that morning, he will meet with clergy and pastoral workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa and with the Catholic patriarchs at the apostolic nunciature. That afternoon, he will join an ecumenical and interreligious gathering in Beirut\u2019s Martyrs\u2019 Square and meet with young people outside the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerk\u00e9. The final day of the trip, Tuesday, Dec. 2, will begin with a visit to De la Croix Hospital in Jal ed Dib, followed by a moment of silent prayer at Beirut\u2019s port, the site of the devastating 2020 explosion. Pope Leo will celebrate the closing Mass of his journey at the Beirut Waterfront before returning to Rome, where he is scheduled to arrive at 4:10 p.m. local time. This article was originally published on ACI Prensa and translated by Catholic News Agency. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Victoria Cardiel Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Vatican News: New Vatican Document On AI Pope Francis appoints Argentine Archbishop Fern\u00e1ndez as head of doctrine dicastery Pope Francis: God is present \u2018in everyday things\u2019 Pope Leo XIV thanks Pontifical Mission Societies for devotion to communion, universality Jubilee of Roma and Sinti PHOTOS: White rose petals fall from ceiling of Rome basilica to mark fourth-century miracle<\/p>\n