2+ day, 13+ hour ago (597+ words) Pope Leo XIV joins the leader of the world's Orthodox Christians on Friday to celebrate 1,700 years since one of the early Church's most significant gatherings, on the second day of his visit to Turkey. The American pope began his four-day visit on Thursday, flying into Ankara, where he held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urging him to embrace Turkey's role as a mediator in a world gripped by conflict. "Mr President, may Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace," the pontiff told the Turkish leader as he kicked off the first overseas trip of his papacy. Tight security meant the papal convoy swept through nearly empty streets in Ankara on a visit that has drawn little attention in the Muslim-majority nation of 86 million, whose Christian community numbers only…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (394+ words) Pope Leo XIV has said that both Christians and Muslims "have been slaughtered" in Nigeria, linking the violence to extremist groups, economic and land-related conflicts. The Pope made the remarks in a video that went viral on Friday, recorded during an interview on Tuesday in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, according to the Catholic News Agency. When asked whether Christians are safe in Nigeria amid allegations of genocide, the Pope said, "I think in Nigeria, in certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people. Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered." He added that the violence is driven by both extremism and economic factors. "There's a question of terrorism. There's a question that has to do a lot with economics, if you will, and control of the lands that they have," he added. Pope Leo XIV further called…...