Pope Leo meets Middle East Christian leaders, condemns religious violence

Pope Leo condemned violence in the name of religion on Friday at a landmark event with Christian leaders from across the Middle East, urging them during his first overseas trip as leader of the Catholic Church to overcome centuries of heated divisions.

At a celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of a major Church council with senior clerics from countries including Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Israel, Leo called it a scandal that the world's 2.6 billion Christians were not more united

"Today, the whole of humanity, afflicted by violence and conflict, is crying out for reconciliation," Leo said at a ceremony in the Turkish town of Iznik, once known as Nicaea, where early churchmen created the Nicene Creed still used by most Christians today.

"We must strongly reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism," said Leo, the first U.S. pope. "The paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation."

Friday's ceremony, at which the Church leaders prayed in English, Greek and Arabic and lit candles near the underwater ruins of a fourth-century basilica, is the main reason for Leo's four-day visit to predominantly Muslim Turkey.

Leo, a relative unknown on the world stage before becoming pope in May, is being closely watched as he makes his first speeches overseas and interacts for the first time with people outside mainly Catholic Italy.

Reuters