Istanbul: Pope Leo XIV opened his first full day in Turkiye on Friday, November 28, by meeting with its tiny Catholic community, greeted by cheers and applause as he embarked on a day meant to bolster Christians around the world and pursue their centuries-old quest for unity.

Shouts of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa” (Long Live the pope) erupted along with cheering and clapping inside and outside Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit as Leo arrived to begin the first full day of his first trip as pope.

Leo was meeting with Turkiye’s Catholic clergy and nuns before taking part in the key reason for his visit. He will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of one of the most important moments in Christianity: the 325 AD gathering of bishops that produced the Nicaean Creed, a statement of faith that millions still recite today.

Catholic, Orthodox and most historic Protestant groups accept the Nicaean Creed. Despite later schisms over doctrine and other factors, Nicaea remains a point of agreement and the most widely accepted creed in Christendom.

As a result, celebrating its foundations is an important marker in the centuries-old quest to unite all Christians.

The anniversary commemoration will take place in Iznik, site of the Council of Nicaea gathering, about 150 kilometres from Istanbul. Presiding with Leo will be Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.

Leo arrived in Turkiye on Thursday, emphasising a message of peace as he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.