This could be the first country Pope Leo XIV will visit after his enthronement

Before his death, Pope Francis had planned a historic visit to Nicaea, a site of profound significance to the Church, now part of the Turkish city of Iznik. The Vatican had scheduled the trip to coincide with the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council.

What will be the first country visited by Pope Leo?

Now that Pope Leo has been named as his successor, attention turns to where his first international trip (outside of those to Rome) will be—and whether he will carry forward the plans laid by Pope Francis.

Vatican officials offer some insight

As of Friday, May 16, no destination for the new pope’s first trip abroad has been confirmed. However, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, told Vatican media that he believes Pope Leo will attend the event. “It was definitely planned that Pope Francis would go. I imagine Pope Leo will follow the same path,” he said.

Türkiye is seen as a meaningful destination for Pope Leo’s first state visit, not only because of its historical importance to the Church, but also due to its emerging role as a venue for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Since his appointment, Pope Leo has made global peace a central theme of his papacy.

If the same plans that were created for Pope Francis are to be used for Pope Leo, he would arrive in Türkiye on May 20.

The Vatican remains eager to see progress in peace negotiations

Cardinal Parolin expressed cautious optimism about the talks, which could mark the first direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While hopeful, he acknowledged that it is “premature” to expect a breakthrough in the coming days or weeks. “We hope that the existing issues can be resolved there and that a genuine peace process can begin,” the cardinal said.