Pope Leo XIV attends a welcoming ceremony after landing in Ankara for his first apostolic visit on November 27, 2025. Yara Nardi/Reuters Ankara, Turkey —

Pope Leo XIV wished Americans a happy Thanksgiving on board his papal plane and thanked journalists for their work as he traveled to Turkey for his first foreign visit .

Leo arrived in Ankara on Thursday for a six-day trip which includes Lebanon, where he is expected to emphasize the key themes of his fledgling pontificate.

“To the Americans here, happy Thanksgiving,” the first American pope said as he greeted reporters flying from Rome.

Leo thanked journalists “for the service that you offer,” adding that “it’s so important today that the message be transmitted in a way that really reveals the truth and harmony that the wor

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