Pope joins patriarchs from East and West at historic Christian site in Turkey to pray for unity

IZNIK, Turkey (AP) — Pope Leo XIV joined Eastern and Western patriarchs and priests Friday in commemorating an important anniversary in Christian history, gathering at the site in Turkey of an unprecedented A.D. 325 meeting of bishops to pray that Christians might once again be united.

Leo, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and other Christian leaders met on the shores of Lake Iznik, the site of the Council of Nicaea that produced a creed, or statement of faith, that is still recited by millions of Christians today.

Standing over the ruins of the site, the men recited the creed, which Leo said was “of fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making toward full communion.”

“In this way, we are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life,” he said.

The prayer marked the highlight of Leo's visit to Turkey and the main reason for his trip, the first of his pontificate.

The Nicaea gathering took place at a time when the Eastern and Western churches were still united. They split in the Great Schism of 1054, a divide precipitated largely by disagreements over the primacy of the pope. But even today, Catholic, Orthodox and most historic Protestant groups accept the Nicaean Creed, making it a point of agreement and the most widely accepted creed in Christendom.

As a result, celebrating its origins at the site of its creation with the spiritual leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox churches and other Christian representatives marked a historic moment in the centuries-old quest to reunite all Christians.

“The Nicene Creed acts like a seed for the whole of our Christian existence. It is a symbol not of a bare minimum; it is a symbol of the whole,” said Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians.

At the start of the prayer service, he told the men they were gathering not just to remember the past.

“We are here to bear living witness to the same faith expressed by the fathers of Nicaea. We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward,” he said.

Roman Emperor Constantine had convened the gathering of bishops from around the Roman Empire after he had consolidated control following years of civil war and political intrigues.

Constantine wouldn’t formally convert to Christianity until the end of his life, in 337. But by 325, he had already been showing tolerance and favor toward a Christian sect that had emerged from the last great spasm of Roman persecution.

The version of the creed that emerged from the council, and recited today by Catholics, begins: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty … ”

The service commemoration, which featured alternating Catholic and Orthodox hymns, took place at the lakeside archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos. The stone foundations of the basilica, which were recently uncovered by the lake's receding waters, are believed to be on the site of an earlier church that hosted the council 1,700 years ago.

In addition to Leo and Bartholomew, the participants of the commemorative service included priests, patriarchs and bishops from Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant and Anglican churches.

In his remarks to the men, Leo said all Christians must strongly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence “or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism.”

“Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation,” he said.

Christians are a minority in predominantly Sunni Muslim Turkey, and ahead of the prayer in Iznik, around 20 members of a small Turkish Islamic party staged a brief protest. They said the encounter posed a threat to Turkey’s sovereignty and national identity.

Under a heavy police presence, Mehmet Kaygusuz, a member of the New Welfare Party, read a statement denouncing what he said were efforts to establish a “Vatican-like Greek Orthodox state” in Turkey. The group dispersed peacefully shortly after.

Iznik resident Suleyman Bulut, 35, acknowledged his town’s deep historical and spiritual significance for Christians and said he had no issue with them coming to honor their heritage.

“Muslims (too) should go and visit places that belong to us in the rest of the world, in Europe,” he said.

But Hasan Maral, a 41-year-old shopkeeper said he felt uncomfortable with visit. “The pope coming here feels contradictory to my faith,” he said.

Leo began his first full day in Istanbul by encouraging Turkey’s tiny Catholic community to find strength in their small numbers. According to Vatican statistics, Catholics number around 33,000 in a nation of 85 million, most of whom are Sunni Muslims.

He received a raucous welcome at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, where he was greeted with shouts of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa” (Long Live the pope).

“The logic of littleness is the church’s true strength,” Leo told them in English. “The significant presence of migrants and refugees in this country presents the church with the challenge of welcoming and serving some of the most vulnerable.”

Leo later visited with a group of nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, who run a nursing home in Istanbul.

“He was so simple. We just felt he was at home. He felt very much at ease. Everybody got what they expected: a blessing, a kind word. It’s just enormous,” said Sister Margret of the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home.

On Saturday, Leo continues with his ecumenical focus, meeting with Bartholomew and other Christian leaders. But he’ll also visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly known as the Blue Mosque, and will celebrate a late afternoon Mass in Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.

Leo heads to Lebanon on Sunday for the second and final leg of his trip.

Winfield reported from Istanbul. Associated Press writers Serra Yedikardes in Istanbul and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Leo XIV and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I lead an Ecumenical prayer service near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos, in Iznik, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV, second right, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians, right, arrive for an Ecumenical prayer service at archaeological excavations of the ancient Byzantine-era Christian Saint Neophytos Basilica, in Iznik, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, marking the 1,700 years anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Pope Leo XIV, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians arrive for an Ecumenical prayer service at archaeological excavations of the ancient Byzantine-era Christian Saint Neophytos Basilica, in Iznik, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, marking the 1,700 years anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Pope Leo XIV visits the nursing home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV visits the nursing home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV meets the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV meets the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV meets the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV delivers his speech as he meets the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV delivers his speech as he meets the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV meets the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Leo XIV arrives for a meeting with the clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Daniel Jones slammed his helmet to the ground several times before eventually limping to the sideline.

He was reacting to his latest injury, which might be season-ending. His body language was indicative of how the Indianapolis Colts must feel with the AFC South — and their once-promising season — slipping away.

Already playing with a broken bone in his left leg, Jones injured his right Achilles tendon in a 36-19 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.

“Could be season-ending. I don’t have the full details on it, but we’ll get more clarity on that,” coach Shane Steichen said. "Not for sure, but it’s not looking good.”

Jones dropped to the ground after throwing incomplete and immediately grabbed the back of his right leg. He eventually got up and made his way to the sideline and then the locker room for tests. He returned to the sideline in the second half wearing a walking boot.

Riley Leonard replaced him, but the Colts (8-5) were essentially done for the day.

They might be done for the season. With Jones injured and four winning teams — Seattle, San Francisco, Jacksonville and Houston — left on the schedule, no one should be surprised if Indy doesn't win again.

Cornerback Kenny Moore called this loss — the team's third in a row and fourth in five games — a dagger.

Jones' injury surely had a lot to do with it. Jones' resurgence was a big reason the Colts started the season 7-1. He signed a one-year contract in free agency and beat out Anthony Richardson in training camp.

But with potentially a nine-month rehab in front of him, the Colts could be looking for a new starter in March.

“Anytime you lose a guy that puts in so much work and so much effort, and is always there for his team, and showing up with a fibula injury and goes out there and freaking plays, just so much respect for him," Steichen said. "Just so much respect.”

With Richardson on injured reserve with a broken orbital bone, Leonard is the only other quarterback on Indy's roster. Brett Rypien is on the practice squad.

Jones played several games though a broken left leg. He said he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred or when he first noticed something didn’t seem right. He maintained the past two weeks he felt healthy enough to play.

His performance, however, told a different story. As defenses put increasingly more pressure on Jones, he has looked less mobile and has been less accurate than in Indy’s first eight games.

He completed 5 of 7 passes for 60 yards, with an interception against Jacksonville. Leonard completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards, with a touchdown run and an interception.

“I was actually impressed with what he did in the situation," Steichen said. "I thought he went in and competed his tail off.”

Leonard credited Jones with getting him ready to play and praised him for playing through the broken leg.

“Daniel’s the toughest guy that I’ve ever been around, by far in my life," Leonard said. "He’s the most competitive person that I’ve ever met. So it’s no surprise that he came back out there to cheer us on. I remember going over the sideline, and he was just first one to put the raincoat on me, the first one to ask me what I see on that play and help me out and what to expect on certain situations.

“It’s just exactly who he is, whether he’s playing or not. He’s very consistent, man. So I really respect that about him.”

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) walks off the field after an injury during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) grabs his leg after an injury during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)