Pope Leo XIV blesses rosaries for EWTN News’ Elias Turk aboard the papal plane to Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 27, 2025. | Credit: Courtesy Elias Turk of EWTN News.
Aboard the papal plane to Turkey on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV addressed some words to journalists in English, including wishing the Americans a Happy Thanksgiving.
Below are the pope’s full remarks:
Then, to the Americans here. Happy Thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful day to celebrate and I want to begin by saying ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you for the service that you offer to the Vatican, to the Holy See, to my person, but for the whole world. It’s so important today that the message be transmitted in a way that really reveals the truth and the harmony that the world needs.
And in a special way, this particular trip to Turkey and to Lebanon has, as you know, first of all, the very meaning of unity celebrating 1,700 years from the Council of Nicaea. And I very much have been looking forward to this trip because of what it means for all Christians. But it’s also a great message to the whole world.
And in a special way, with the presence of myself, of the Church, of believers in both Turkey and in Lebanon, we hope to also, announce, transmit, proclaim how important peace is throughout the world, and to invite all people to come together to search for greater unity, greater harmony, and to look for the ways that all men and women can truly be brothers and sisters, in spite of differences, in spite of different religions, in spite of the different beliefs, that we are all brothers and sisters and to hopefully be a part of promoting peace and unity throughout the world.
So thank you all for being here. I am happy to greet you all, at least from here. Maybe individually. Thank you for the service we’ll be doing during these days. And, thanks for being part of this historic moment, which is great too.