Early Sunday, news arrived that the Vatican’s chartered Airbus 320, which transported , his staff, and 80 journalists to Turkey on Thanksgiving Day, was cleared for travel following a successful software update.

The flight to Lebanon was confirmed to proceed.

As a reporter and producer, the journalist has covered nearly a dozen ; however, four days into Pope Leo’s first international pilgrimage, this one proved particularly challenging or remarkable. It raised the question of whether this peace-pilgrimage trip to the Middle East was just an unrealistic hope.

Indeed, pies were present during the flight from Rome. The reporter sat next to a colleague carrying a pecan pie and behind two others who presented homemade pumpkin pies to the Chicago-born Pope Leo, who expressed great delight. The Thanksgiving meal, though less exciting, was well-received, featuring a menu, real silverware, and cloth napkins.

Saturday evening concluded three intensive days with a Mass in Istanbul, attended by 4,000 members of the nation’s small Catholic community. Historically, over a million Christians, particularly Armenians, perished in World War I under the Ottoman Empire. Currently, the majority of Turkey’s 85 million inhabitants are Sunni Muslim, with Catholics constituting only 0.2% of the population.

During the Mass, the reporter was seated alongside colleague Elise Harris, notable as the first person granted an interview with Pope Leo and the baker of one of the pumpkin pies. As Pope Leo processed down a nearby side aisle amidst incense, he offered a subtle nod and bestowed a blessing with the sign of the cross.

In his homily, the Pope reiterated themes of peace and unity, consistent with his earlier emphasis during discussions on Thursday in , with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and again on Friday in Istanbul with Jewish religious leaders. Later that day in Iznik, he joined Orthodox patriarchs and ecumenical leaders to commemorate the .

Following the meeting and prayer with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of global Orthodox Christians, Pope Leo signed a joint declaration, symbolizing Christian unity.

The Pope also addressed the importance of unity with non-Christians, stating, “We live in a world where religion is too often used to justify wars and atrocities.” He emphasized the necessity to “appreciate what unites us, breaking down the walls of prejudices and mistrust… to become peacemakers.”

Notably, Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish national who shot and severely wounded Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square in 1981, was not invited to meet the Pope in Iznik. Agca, released from prison in 2010 after serving sentences in Italy and Turkey, currently resides in Iznik. While he has never clarified his motive for the assassination attempt, Turkish media reported his desire to meet Pope Leo “for two or three minutes.” However, he was escorted out of town instead.

The journalist recalled a 2006 visit to Istanbul for Radio, to cover Pope Benedict XVI’s conciliatory visit. This visit sought to quell the violent uproar caused by comments Benedict had made in a German speech, wherein he quoted a Byzantine emperor stating Islam was spread “through the sword.”

A significant event occurred when Pope Benedict was observed in the , the country’s most important Muslim place of worship, with his head bowed and lips moving. A Reuters colleague reportedly exclaimed in the press room, “The pope is praying!” The challenge at the time was conveying the profound importance of this act within a brief audio segment.

In 2014, the Blue Mosque was also visited, with open prayer occurring. Consequently, it was widely assumed that the new Pope Leo would follow suit. The Vatican press office even stated in its daily communiqué that he had done so.

However, ‘vaticanisti’ present inside the Blue Mosque on Saturday morning, having removed their shoes and donned headscarves, observed a clear absence of prayer pauses.

Subsequently, press spokesman Matteo Bruni clarified that the Pope had visited the mosque “in silence, in the spirit of reflection and listening, with profound respect for the place and the faith of those gathered here in prayer.”

This description of a spirit of “reflection and listening with respect for others” accurately encapsulates the character of the 70-year-old Midwestern pontiff.

Six months prior, upon his election to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and his introduction to the global stage, his initial words were, “Peace be with you.”

Nevertheless, it remains premature to assess how his message of unity and the brotherhood of humanity will resonate in the conflict-ridden .