Pope Leo XIV, at Mass in Turkey, calls for Catholic, ecumenical and interreligious unity Pope Leo XIV marked the start of Advent on Saturday with an appeal for unity and peace, telling thousands gathered for Mass in Istanbul that Christians \u201cjourney as if on a bridge that connects earth to Heaven,\u201d keeping their eyes \u201cfixed on both shores\u201d until they are united \u201cin the house of the Father.\u201d The pope celebrated Mass on Nov. 29 at the Volkswagen Arena, a large multipurpose venue within Istanbul\u2019s Uniq cultural complex. The liturgy, held on the eve of the Feast of St. Andrew, patron of Turkey, took place during the third day of his first international apostolic trip, which has brought him to Turkey and will soon continue on to Lebanon. In his homily, the pope reflected on the beginning of Advent, saying it prepares believers \u201cto experience anew at Christmas the mystery of Jesus, the Son of God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.\u201d Drawing on the first reading from Isaiah (Is 2:1\u20135), he invited the faithful \u201cto ascend the mountain of the Lord,\u201d which he described as an image of divine light and peace. Leo pointed to two key images in the reading. The first was the mountain \u201cestablished as the highest of the mountains,\u201d which he said reminds Christians that God\u2019s gifts \u201care a gift not only for us, but for everyone.\u201d He cited examples of evangelizing witness: St. Peter meeting Christ through St. Andrew\u2019s enthusiasm, and St. Augustine coming to the faith through St. Ambrose. Recalling a line from St. John Chrysostom\u2014\u201cThe miracle happens and passes, but the Christian life remains and continually edifies\u201d\u2014he urged the faithful to \u201ckeep watch\u201d with prayer, charity, and spiritual vigilance. The second image was the prophet\u2019s vision of peace: \u201cThey shall beat their swords into plowshares\u2026 neither shall they learn war any more.\u201d The pope said the message is especially urgent today, calling the Church to be a sign of reconciliation in a world marked by conflict. Turning to the theme of bridges, Leo noted that the logo for his visit to Turkey features the Bosporus Bridge, which joins Asia and Europe. He said the image points to three essential \u201cbridges of unity\u201d: within the Catholic community, in relations with other Christians, and in dialogue with other religions. The pope highlighted the four Catholic traditions present in Turkey\u2014Latin, Armenian, Chaldean, and Syriac\u2014calling them \u201ca catholicity that unites.\u201d Unity, he said, \u201cneeds care, attention, and maintenance.\u201d Quoting Christ\u2019s prayer \u201cthat they may all be one,\u201d he appealed again for Christian unity and encouraged believers to be peacemakers. This is how it feels to be at Pope Leo\u2019s first public Mass in T\u00fcrkiye (Turkey) with his “little flock” in the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul. In a country of more than 80 million people, only around 30\u201335,000 are Catholics\u2026 and tonight they\u2019re here, singing, praying, and welcoming\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ryTl6ZmiNa The diversity of Turkey\u2019s Catholic community was visible in the liturgy. A choir of about 200 members represented the country\u2019s four rites. Scripture readings and prayer intentions were offered in Turkish, Aramaic, Syriac, English, Armenian, and Arabic, reflecting the multilingual and multicultural character of local Catholics. On Sunday afternoon, the pope will depart Turkey for the second leg of his apostolic journey in Lebanon. Before leaving Istanbul, he is scheduled to participate in several ecumenical events in the morning. Follow all EWTN News coverage of Pope Leo\u2019s First Apostolic Trip here. This article was originally published on CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Elias Turk Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Elon Musk\u2019s Brother Pitches Jubilee Year Drone Show in Rome Synod Cardinal Speaks on LGBTQ+ Catholics and Those Who Love the Traditional Latin Mass World Youth Day 2023: Final Preparations and Papal Arrival in Lisbon The Budapest Option: Pope Francis\u2019 Next Destination Is an Emerging Bastion of Conservative Christian Thought 3 Attitudes University Chaplains Should Have, According to Pope Francis Vatican dissociates itself from the controversy over the 5 million euro altar for WYD<\/p>\n