Pope Leo XIV opened the Advent season on Saturday with a strong call to communion and peace, telling thousands of worshippers at a Mass in Istanbul that Christians “journey as if on a bridge that connects earth to heaven,” with their gaze “fixed on both shores” until all are gathered “in the house of the Father.”
The Eucharistic celebration took place on Nov. 29 in the Volkswagen Arena, a major venue inside Istanbul’s Uniq cultural complex. The liturgy, offered on the vigil of the feast of St. Andrew — patron of Turkey — fell on the third day of his first international apostolic voyage, which has brought him to Turkey and will soon lead him on to Lebanon.
Advent as a path toward Christ’s mystery
Preaching on the first Sunday of Advent, Pope Leo explained that this season is meant to ready hearts “to experience anew at Christmas the mystery of Jesus, the Son of God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”
Taking his cue from the prophecy of Isaiah (Is 2:1–5), proclaimed in the first reading, he invited believers “to ascend the mountain of the Lord,” describing that mountain as a sign of God’s light, peace, and saving presence.
The pope drew attention to two central images in the passage. The first is the mountain “established as the highest of the mountains,” which, he said, reminds Christians that the gifts of God “are a gift not only for us, but for everyone.” He evoked the way faith spreads through personal witness: St. Peter brought to Christ through the zeal of his brother Andrew, and St. Augustine led to conversion by the preaching and example of St. Ambrose.
Quoting St. John Chrysostom — “The miracle happens and passes, but the Christian life remains and continually edifies” — he encouraged the faithful to “keep watch” through prayer, works of charity, and interior vigilance.
A prophetic vision of peace
The second image he highlighted was Isaiah’s well-known call to peace: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares… neither shall they learn war any more.” In a world scarred by war and division, the pope said, this ancient promise takes on a renewed urgency, challenging the Church to become a living sign of reconciliation and nonviolence.
‘Bridges of unity’ in Istanbul
Returning to the theme of bridges, Pope Leo pointed to the logo for his journey to Turkey, which features the Bosporus Bridge linking Asia and Europe. That symbol, he said, reflects three indispensable “bridges of unity”: communion within the Catholic Church, fellowship with other Christians, and dialogue with followers of other religions.
He drew attention to the four Catholic traditions present in Turkey — Latin, Armenian, Chaldean, and Syriac — and described them as “a catholicity that unites.” Such unity, he stressed, “needs care, attention, and maintenance.”
Recalling Jesus’ prayer to the Father “that they may all be one,” the pope once more appealed for progress toward Christian unity and invited believers to be artisans of peace in their daily lives and communities.
A multilingual, multi-ritual celebration
The variety of Turkey’s Catholic flock was clearly visible in the liturgy. A choir of some 200 singers brought together representatives from all four rites in the country. The readings and prayers of the faithful were proclaimed in Turkish, Aramaic, Syriac, English, Armenian, and Arabic, mirroring the linguistic and cultural diversity of the local Church.
Next steps in the apostolic journey
After concluding his engagements in Istanbul, Pope Leo is scheduled on Sunday afternoon to leave Turkey and begin the second stage of his apostolic journey in Lebanon. Before his departure, his program includes several ecumenical encounters in the morning, further underlining the trip’s central themes of unity, dialogue, and peace.
