At today's Angelus Address, Pope Leo XIV calls for hostages' release, prayers for the Ukrainian faithful

 

Open lockers and scattered belongings inside a student dormitory in St Mary's School 

Pope

• Nigeria
• Cameroon
• Pope Leo XIV
• violence

Pope Leo calls for the release of hostages in Nigeria and Cameroon

After Mass on the Solemnity of Christ the King in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo makes a heartfelt appeal for the release of students and priests kidnapped in recent days in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Read also

22/11/2025

Over 300 students kidnapped from Catholic school in Nigeria

By Vatican News

Pope Leo has expressed his “immense sadness” over the recent kidnappings of priests, students and members of the Christian faithful in Nigeria and Cameroon and urged authorities to ensure their liberation.

Some 315 students and teachers were kidnapped on Friday at the St Mary High School in Nigeria’s Niger state.

That same week, in Ndop, Cameroon, six Catholic priests from the Archdiocese of Bamenda were kidnapped. In addition, in the municipality of Jakiri, in the nearby Bui division, a Baptist pastor was abducted.

Speaking after Mass on Sunday in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said he had “learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon.”

“I feel deep sorrow”, the Pope said, “especially for the many boys and girls who have been abducted, and for their anguished families. I make a heartfelt appeal that the hostages be immediately released, and I urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their liberation.”

Finally, the Pope invited everyone to pray that churches schools might never be the target of violence: “Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”

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23/11/2025

Pope Leo issues Apostolic Letter 'In unitate fidei' on Nicaea Anniversary

Ukraine, Türkiye, Lebanon

Before reciting the noonday Angelus prayer, Pope Leo also greeted the Ukrainian faithful present for the Mass, urging them to “take home the embrace and prayers of this square”.

The Pope also mentioned his upcoming Apostolic Journey, the first of his pontificate, to Türkiye and Lebanon. He will leave for Türkiye on Thursday, 27 November, part of the celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, today's Iznik.

In this regard, the Pope cited the publication of his Apostolic Letter ‘In Unitate Fidei,’ dedicated to Christian unity and 325AD Nicene Creed, announcing its publication today.

The schedule for Pope Leo's apostolic journey released; he will visit Turkey & Lebanon

 

Pope Leo XIV  (@Vatican Media)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• apostolic journey
• Turkey
• Lebanon
• ecumenism
• anniversary
• eastern churches

From Nicea to the Port of Beirut: Pope Leo's schedule for Türkiye and Lebanon

Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit Türkiye and Lebanon next month, 27 November – 2 December 2025, which will be the first Apostolic Journey outside of the Italy of his pontificate.

By Christopher Wells

Pope Leo XIV’s first Apostolic Journey outside of Italy will see the Holy Father travelling to Türkiye and Lebanon next month, 27 November – 2 December 2025, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.

Türkiye

On Monday, the Holy See released the schedule for the pope’s Journey, which will begin in Türkiye on 27 November. Upon his arrival in the capital, Ankara, the Holy Father will meet with the nation’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, before addressing Turkish authorities, representatives of civil society, and members of the diplomatic corps. At the end of the day, the Pope will travel by plane from Ankara to Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city.

During his first full day in Türkiye, Friday 28 November, Pope Leo will meet with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons and pastoral workers at Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Later in the morning, he will visit the nursing home of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

After a short helicopter flight to Nicaea – modern İznik – the Holy Father will participate in an ecumenical prayer service near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos.

Returning that same day to Istanbul, the Pope will meet with bishops in the Apostolic Delegation.

On Saturday, 29 November, Pope Leo will begin his day with a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque – the famous “Blue Mosque” before meeting privately with leaders of the local churches and Christian communities at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem.

In the afternoon, he will take part in a Doxology at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Following the service, Pope Leo XIV with meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, with the two leaders signing a Joint Declaration in the Patriarchal Palace.

The day will conclude with Holy Mass celebrated in Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.

The Holy Father’s schedule for Sunday, 30 November – the feast of St Andrew the Apostle – begins with a prayer visit to the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral.

Later that morning, Pope Leo will attend a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George. Following an ecumenical blessing at the conclusion of the liturgy, the Pope will have lunch with Ecumenical Patriarch.

Lebanon

In the afternoon, after a farewell ceremony at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, Pope Leo XIV with begin the second leg of his Apostolic Journey by flying to Beirut, Lebanon. Upon his arrival, the Pope will meet with hold separate meetings with the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly, and the Prime Minister of Lebanon. He will then give his customary address to Lebanese authorities, representatives of civil society, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Pope Leo has a busy day on Monday, 1 December, beginning with a visit to the tomb of St Charbel Maklūf at the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya. From there, he travels to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, where he will meet with bishops, priests, consecrated persons and pastoral workers. The morning concludes with a private meeting with Catholic Patriarchs in the Apostolic Nunciature.

In the afternoon, Pope Leo will hold an ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs’ Square in Beirut. Later, in the square in front of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerké, Pope Leo will meet with young people of Lebanon.

The final day of the Pope’s Apostolic Journey, Tuesday, 2 December, will see the Holy Father visiting staff members and patients of the De La Croix Hospital in Jal Ed Dib. Pope Leo will then have the opportunity for silent prayer at the site of the Beirut Port explosion, which occurred in 2020.

The Holy Father will then celebrate Holy Mass at the Beirut Waterfront, the final major event of the journey to Lebanon.

Pope Leo is scheduled to depart from Beirut Tuesday afternoon, with a scheduled arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport shortly after 4 pm.

Further details of the schedule for Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon can be found on the website of the Holy See Press Office.

Pope Leo XIV meets with Patriarch of the Assyrian Church ahead of the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and promoting synodality

 

Pope Leo meets with His Holiness Mar Awa II, the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East  (@VATICAN MEDIA)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• synod
• synodality
• dialogue

Pope: ‘Synodality presents itself as a promising path forward’

Pope Leo addresses the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Members of the Joint Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. In his discourse, he praises the progress the two Churches have made on their path of dialogue.

By Kielce Gussie

Pope Leo XIV welcomed His Holiness Mar Awa III, the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Members of the Joint Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East to the Vatican on Monday.

Speaking with them, the Holy Father explained how the combined visits of the Catholicos Patriarch and the Commission members “bear witness to the face that fraternal encounter and theological dialogue are mutually constitutive elements on the path toward unity.”

Pope Leo stressed that the “dialogue of truth” is an expression of “the love that already unites our Churches, while the ‘dialogue of charity’ must also be understood theologically.”

A time of growth

To mark the 30th anniversary of the official dialogue between the two Churches, the Catholicos Patriarch made a visit to Rome in 2024. Pope Leo highlighted that “the progress made over these years is significant, having faithfully followed the mandate and methodology established by our predecessors.”

Referencing the 1994 Joint Declaration of Pope John Paul II and His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, the Holy Father reiterated how “communion presupposes unanimity concerning the content of the faith, the sacraments, and the constitution of the Church.”

This three-sided description created the framework for the next steps in the theological dialogue between the two Churches. The 1994 document helped resolve a 1,500-year-old controversy, which in turn advanced the dialogue between the two “mutual recognition of sacraments, enabling a certain communicatio in sacris between our Churches.”

Pope Leo expressed his gratitude to the theologians in the Joint Commission for their dedication and work to helping reach these agreements.

A new focus

Now, the Pope said, the focus of the dialogue between the two Churches is the constitution of the Church. Here, the Holy Father pointed out that “the principal challenge lies in jointly developing a model of full communion, inspired by the first millennium, while thoughtfully responding to the challenges of our time.”

Yet, as his predecessors have argued, Pope Leo agreed this will not be achieved by “absorption or domination”. Rather, the model should encourage a sharing of gifts among the two Churches.

He stressed that “on this journey towards full communion, synodality presents itself as a promising path forward.” The Holy Father continued, reflecting on Pope Francis’ words in the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality: “The journey of synodality undertaken by the Catholic Church is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal”.

With the spirit of the Synod in mind, Pope Leo expressed his hope that the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will help concretely apply forms of synodality among all Christians and “inspire us with new ‘ecumenical synodal practices’.”

Closing, the Pope asked for the intercession of all the saints of both Churches, especially Saint Isaac of Nineveh, on this pilgrimage of dialogue. Through their intercession, Pope Leo prayed that the Christians in the Middle East always bear faithful witness to Christ, and he asked that "our dialogue hasten the blessed day when we will celebrate together at the same altar, sharing in the same Body and Blood of our Saviour, 'so that the world may believe' (Jn 17:21)