Pope, patriarchs flock to Turkey to commemorate 1,700th anniversary of critical religious council

Catholic leaders visited the basilica beneath Lake Iznik, believed to be the site of the First Council of Nicaea, after falling water levels revealed the submerged ruins.

Pope Leo XIV takes part in a prayer service with Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, near the excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos on November 28, 2025 in Iznik, Turkey.

(photo credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ByJOANIE MARGULIES

NOVEMBER 30, 2025 14:42

Updated: NOVEMBER 30, 2025 15:39

Pope, patriarchs flock to Turkey to commemorate 1,700th anniversary of critical religious council

Catholic leaders visited the basilica beneath Lake Iznik, believed to be the site of the First Council of Nicaea, after falling water levels revealed the submerged ruins.

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Pope, patriarchs flock to Turkey to commemorate 1,700th anniversary of critical religious council

Catholic leaders visited the basilica beneath Lake Iznik, believed to be the site of the First Council of Nicaea, after falling water levels revealed the submerged ruins.

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