Pope Leo visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque on Saturday, but was not welcomed by the head of Turkey's state-run religious organization despite earlier plans.

The assassination of Tabatabai was a blatant attack and a heinous crime. We have the right to respond, and we will determine the timing for that"

ANKARA, Turkey — Pope Leo XIV touched down in the conflict-ridden Middle East on the first international trip of his papacy, urging peace and hoping to help the Catholic Church heal centuries-old divisions with other religions and denominations.

Pope Leo XIV is embarking on his first foreign trip, a pilgrimage to Turkey and Lebanon, amid Mideast tensions and the media glare that will document history's first American pope on the road.

The intense two years of fighting between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) came to a halt with a ceasefire brokered by President Trump on October 9, signed by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. The implications of these three signatories have not been fully appreciated.

Pope Leo XIV and Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople issued a joint call for peace Saturday, condemning violence and urging faithful to work for a better world.

The maiden voyage of Leo XIV, the first American pontiff in history, has taken him to the heart of Christianity.

Pope Leo XIV appealed on Tuesday for an end to "attacks and hostilities" as he prepared to depart Lebanon, which has been hit by frequent Israeli strikes despite a yearlong ceasefire with militant group Hezbollah.