Muslim-majority Turkey, which is hosting Pope Leo XIV on his first overseas trip as pontiff, is not "a hostile environment" for Christians, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople told AFP in an interview.

The text of the joint declaration they signed rejects the use of religion to justify violence, urges global efforts toward peace, supports cooperation among believers of different faiths, and entrusts a suffering world to God with renewed hope in the Holy Spirit.

Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul) of the Armenian Apostolic Church, issued a statement regarding Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Turkey, and expressed gratitude on the occasion of his upcoming visit to an Armenian church in Istanbul, the Vatican’s Armenian service reports.

The Surp Krikor Lusavoriç church stands on the coastal road in the Istanbul neighborhood of Kuzguncuk. Below it lies the waters of the Bosphorus, to the northeast stands the intercontinental suspension bridge, raised in the 1970s, that connects Europe ...

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and has a population of over 15 million. The city straddles the Bosporus Strait which separates Europe and Asia. Previously named Constantinople, the city served as the imperial capital of the Byzantium (Eastern Roman ...

Pope Leo XIV will visit Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque early on Saturday on the third day of his trip to Turkey. The Blue Mosque -- which gets its name from the vibrant blue Iznik tiles that line its interior -- is one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions.