Chevalier de la charité

An educational niche aimed at conservative Catholics seems to be a successful business model, mirroring an explosion in so-called classical religious high schools that court a similar demographic. While some smaller Catholic colleges and universities are closing, merging or eliminating programs, many schools with reputations as friendly to « trad Catholics » are reporting enrollment growth and financial health, even in an admittedly formidable time for higher education.

In addition to Catholic Polytechnic, Rosary College in Greenville, South Carolina, and several new Catholic trade schools have opened this year. Rosary, which will offer classes toward an associate’s degree, was founded by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, a sometimes controversial conservative blogger who is a convert from Protestant fundamentalism.

Evangelical Christians have long marketed Christian colleges as safe spaces where parents can be reassured their children will not be « radicalized » into political liberalism or questioning of their faith. In Catholic circles, such colleges are often identified by inclusion on a list by the Cardinal Newman Society, which describes itself as « promoting and defending faithful Catholic education. » 

The society’s « Newman Guide » lists schools it deems as « faithful, » based on criteria such as whether faculty and the president make a public profession of faith; the percentage of faculty, trustees and students who identify as Catholic; and policies prohibiting honors and speaking invitations to those who question Catholic moral teachings. Single-sex dorms and regular Mass, confessions and adoration are also pluses.

The assumption is that « much of secular education is opposed to Catholic belief and morality, » according to the society’s web page. « On the other hand, sadly much of Catholic higher education has been compromised by ideology, infidelity, and scandal … « 

Among those making the recommended list are The Catholic University of America in Washington; Ave Maria University in Florida; the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas; Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyoming; the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota; Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas; Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio; and Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia.

Catholic schools are not immune to the challenges in higher education today, including demographic shifts that have led to enrollment declines, rising costs, recent freezes to federal research funding and uncertainty around the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity and other programs. In 2024, at least 20 U.S. colleges and universities closed, and analysts predict hundreds of closures in the next decade.

Two years ago, the Newman Society released a press release proclaiming that schools on the list were « bursting with success, » with « unprecedented enrollment numbers and financial support » in the 2023-24 academic year. More recent stats confirm that several schools have reported positive enrollment and growth.

This fall, Franciscan University of Steubenville welcomed an incoming class of record size, as it has for the past 11 years. This comes on the heels of the university graduating its largest class ever last spring. Steubenville also recently completed a $16.5 million renovation of its chapel, nearly doubling its capacity. The project was part of a capital campaign that raised $126 million for scholarships, academic programs and a new event center. 

Benedictine College in Kansas — the product of a merger of two smaller schools in 1971 – may be best known for a 2024 graduation speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who made headlines for denouncing Pride Month, « gender ideology » and « the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion. » The publicity around the speech may have boosted its name recognition, but the school had already seen enrollment double, the construction of new buildings and a substantial increase in fundraising and endowment over the last two decades.

In its 20-year history, Wyoming Catholic College, the only Catholic college in the state, has grown from a couple dozen students to an enrollment of 179. It gained international prominence when one of its students was selected to attend the Vatican’s global synod meetings in Rome.

More than two-thirds of its students have been homeschooled, and they come from an average family size of six children. The campus has an emphasis on outdoorsmanship and does not allow cellphones, televisions, alcohol or sex outside of marriage. Despite a fraud scandal in 2021 involving the school’s chief financial officer, which resulted in the loss of a $10 million donation, Wyoming Catholic had $14.5 million in revenue in 2023, the latest year for which tax data is available.

Donna Carroll, executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, acknowledges the growth among some of these conservative schools but sees Catholic schools attracting students more broadly. Although the ACCU does not collect enrollment data, she has found that many Catholic institutions — especially smaller ones, and not just those seeking to attract more traditionalist students — have had overall enrollment increases this fall. 

« These are morally treacherous times, and it is not surprising that families are choosing faith-based higher education for its community orientation and for the promise of a values-driven educational setting, » she said in an email interview. « Catholic campuses, in general, have seen fewer protests, and are actively engaged in relationship building — a counter narrative that appeals to students after the isolation of the pandemic. The fact that equity and inclusion are deeply held expressions of mission also resonates with many. »

That some of the more conservative Catholic colleges and universities may not be facing as many financial challenges as other institutions could be the result of several factors, Carroll said. « Their student bodies are, in general, less diverse, so the institutions are likely not to have the same exposure to demographic and economic shifts or rescinded Hispanic-Serving Institution grants or international student visa issues, » she said. « Most are located on self-contained campuses in suburban or rural areas. Some have wealthy sponsors. »

Several of the schools, including Christendom and Wyoming Catholic, refuse to accept any federal government money, including Pell grants for students.

But not all schools that attract traditionalist students are avoiding financial challenges or the demographic cliff of fewer college-bound students after Generation Z. 

In May, The Catholic University of America cut 68 positions, or 7% of its workforce, to address a $30 million deficit due to rising costs and declining enrollment. Other austerity measures included frozen salary increases and voluntary buyouts for faculty.

Operating expenses at the university had increased by 24% and revenue fell by more than 21% between 2019 and 2024, while enrollment dropped by nearly 800 students. CUA was founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops and is a pontifical university, meaning it is approved by the Holy See to grant ecclesiastical degrees.

Ave Maria University, originally founded in 1998 by Domino’s pizza magnate Tom Monaghan in Michigan, has not reached its ambitious enrollment goals since moving in 2007 to Florida with plans for a university campus and adjoining conservative Catholic town. The economic crisis of 2008, combined with rising costs and the troubled Florida real estate market, led to a $10 million deficit. Today’s enrollment is about 1,300 students, far short of the Catholic « Ivy » status Monaghan first imagined. Ave Maria was not mentioned in the Newman press release touting financial success.

Although traditionalist Catholic families, especially those who homeschool their children, may provide a pipeline to these schools, Catholic Polytechnic has recruited primarily among first-generation families, Nolan said. They may be attracted to the free tuition, but also skeptical of other Catholic educational institutions after some « went a little Catholic ‘light’ and downplayed their Catholicism » after the 1967 Land O’Lakes statement, she said. 

That document, the culmination of a meeting of Catholic higher education leaders in Wisconsin who gathered to reassess their institutions in light of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, called for autonomy and academic freedom. Two decades later, then-Pope John Paul II sought to reassert stricter communion with the church through the local bishop with the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Conservative Catholic colleges often tout that their theology professors have gained the required « mandatum » from their local bishop.

Still, the 20 colleges on the Newman Society list represent a minority of the 230 degree-granting Catholic institutions in the United States that collectively enroll more than 700,000 students, according to data from ACCU. Those other schools maintain their Catholic identity, while attracting diverse student bodies, Carroll said. 

« It is true that families are attracted to some of our institutions because they are explicitly Catholic, but most Catholic colleges and universities today are religiously diverse, still with strong Catholic and congregational identities, » she said. « Often, students of other faiths, looking for a spiritual dimension to their college experience, are attracted to these Catholic institutions. »

«  What we have come to call, in corporate speak, DEI, for Christians is doing as Jesus did and being as Jesus was. And we can’t claim to be following Jesus and not take that seriously, » said González-Andrieu, also a theology professor at Loyola Marymount University.

Despite many leaders saying they are committed to continuing equity-related work, the administration’s push has created a climate of caution in Catholic higher education. Several Catholic campus officials declined to speak for this story, citing fear of retribution.

Catholic higher education leaders have also been relatively quiet about the administration’s biggest impact on their communities — the withholding or termination of grant funds, including for programs meant to serve marginalized and vulnerable students.

In February, the Department of Education sent out a memo saying that federal law prohibits the use of race « in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life. »

In March, the Department of Education said it was investigating Notre Dame for race-based discrimination because of the university’s partnership with the PhD Project, which supported historically underrepresented groups in business doctoral programs. 

Last month, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher found the February guidance violated the law by failing to comply with procedural requirements.

« What hasn’t changed since January is the law, » Michael Pillera, who served as a senior civil rights attorney in the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights from 2015 to March 2025, told RNS.

« The Department of Justice, Department of Education, can’t make law, » said Pillera, now director of the education opportunities project at Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. « When litigated, much of this stuff has lost, » Pillera said of the Trump administration’s anti-DEI campaign.

But even if they win in court, universities have faced steep consequences. In mid-April, the administration froze $2.2 billion of federal research funding for Harvard University after the university rejected the administration’s demands to end its DEI programs. It took almost five months for a federal judge to rule that freezing was illegal, and the Trump administration plans to appeal the decision.

Harvard’s legal fight is likely quite costly, and its resources far surpass those of most Catholic colleges.

The president of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, John Petillo, cited the threat of losing federal funding in an Aug. 8 letter explaining his decision to close Sacred Heart’s Office of Inclusive Excellence, which contained multicultural and sexuality and gender equity centers, calling the change « unavoidable. »

Instead, the university will open an Agape Center for Human Dignity, which will empower students « to encounter each other with integrity, gain knowledge and practice the key skills of intentional reflection and courageous civil discourse » and offer programs open to all, he wrote.

When pressed about what that programming will look like, a university spokesperson declined to share more details. Petillo’s letter does specify that Sacred Heart’s unity clubs, which are formed around various identities, will continue to be supported by the center.

Other leaders have chosen to fight. Patricia McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University and a forceful champion for DEI, said the administration’s anti-DEI strictures are « a way for this administration to satisfy the extremist views that Black people in particular, immigrants in particular, should not have a place and a space in our culture, certainly not in our universities. » 

At Trinity, 56% of the student body is Black and 30% is Hispanic. About 70% of its students are eligible for Pell grants and about 10% are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

McGuire, a former law professor, advised other presidents to ensure they’re complying with long-standing anti-discrimination law but not to back off their DEI programs, even if, like Notre Dame, they choose to rename them. «  Too many universities are rushing to comply with administration orders without having evidence that there’s any wrongdoing going on, » McGuire said. «  There is nothing fundamentally illegal about an institution caring about principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. »

McGuire urged presidents to help students feel « welcome, included and safe » and to « realize that they have opportunities that they never dreamed possible. » She said: « You will save their lives. You will save your own soul, and you will steer clear of legal trouble. »

Some Catholic leaders have backed Trump’s campaign. Recently, Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron, whom the president named to the White House’s Religious Freedom Commission, joined prominent conservatives such as Christopher Rufo, Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro in signing a letter from the Manhattan Institute that called on Trump to revoke funding and accreditation from any university that doesn’t « adhere to the principle of colorblind equality, by abolishing DEI bureaucracies » and making other policy changes.

McGuire said it is an oxymoron that Barron would call himself pro-life while saying « universities should be punished for the ways they try to make Black and Hispanic students feel welcome and included. » McGuire said he is not «  an effective leader for our fundamental issues in Catholic social teaching. »

The U.S. bishops are not of one voice on DEI. On Sept. 8, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops published an essay on its website by Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell, then-chair of its subcommittee on African American Affairs, titled « DEI means God. »

« The current government administration that we have is working to separate us from one another, » Campbell wrote, according to the Black Catholic Messenger, saying people of color « have been denied for far too long, equal opportunities in education, social recognition, and economic growth, truly denying the DIGNITY OF EVERY HUMAN BEING! »

But in the face of conservative backlash, the conference removed the essay from its website, telling Catholic outlets the essay was posted without going through the normal review process.

Campbell declined to be interviewed about the incident.

Before the incident, Trenton, New Jersey, Bishop David O’Connell, chair of the U.S. bishops’ conference committee on Catholic education, and retired Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry, then-chair of the conference’s ad hoc committee against racism, both declined to be interviewed. Barron’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

González-Andrieu said, «  It’s a lie to say that all students from the moment that they’re born, all children, have the same opportunities.

« This is part of the Catholic practice. First, take stock of what we have done wrong and then say, wow, we’re sorry that we did that thing wrong, and then resolve to not do it wrong again and to do the right thing, » González-Andrieu said of the United States’ history « of racism and classism and sexism. »

McGuire credited the focus of Trinity, her university, on welcoming students «  who historically have not been welcomed » with transforming lives in her region. The school, she said, is expanding educational opportunities, helping more students of color achieve success in nursing and earning top journalism awards. 

«  The story of students becoming wildly successful because of a care for diversity, equity and inclusion — that story’s not being told right now, » McGuire said.

The day’s itinerary included a series of encounters with Lebanon’s diverse religious communities — Maronite Catholics, other Christian denominations and interreligious groups — before culminating in the youth event that reinforced the message of hope at the heart of his visit to Lebanon.

Throughout the morning, the pope delivered his remarks in French, a semiofficial language in Lebanon dating from its period under French occupation between 1920 and 1946, though he spoke in English to the young people. Although fluent in Spanish and Italian, Leo is not conversational in French, but has occasionally chosen to read speeches in the language.

Bolstering young people

In the hours before the pope’s arrival in Bkerki, the square in front of the offices of the Maronite patriarchate, the seat of the Catholic rite that comprises some 80% of Lebanon’s Christians, was transformed into a one-night-only World Youth Day celebration. Young people sang, danced and chanted relentlessly ahead of the pope’s arrival. Attendees who spoke to National Catholic Reporter expressed hope that the pope would deliver a message of peace amid their nation’s crises that affect them personally.

Margaritta Hayek, 30, was among those singing in full force ahead of the pope’s arrival. She traveled to Beirut from Mardoush in southern Lebanon, where she said the house next to her family’s had been destroyed by an Israeli air strike and where air raid sirens still ring out daily.

« I hope [Leo] will remind everyone about the importance of peace, and that we are all humans, not to kill each other but to build connections, » she told NCR.

Rebecca Lichaa, 23, from Deir al-Ahmar along the Lebanon-Syria border, said more Syrians now live in her village than Lebanese due to the migration caused by the Syrian civil war, which at times has led to local conflicts.

She, too, wanted Leo to « say something about peace, because we truly need peace. »

« As a young Lebanese, I don’t want to leave my country; that’s why I hope to hear something that can be of hope to young people, above all to the young Christians because we need that, » she told NCR.

The Christian population in Lebanon is estimated to have declined from 60% in 1970 down to around 30% today, due to mass emigration fueled by a series of political, economic and bellicose crises.

The foundation for peace, Leo told the attentive crowd, « cannot be just an idea, contract or moral principle, » but must be drawn from the example of Jesus’ mercy.

« Peace is not authentic if it is the product of partisan interests, » he said. « It is only genuinely sincere when I do to others what I would like them to do to me. »

The pope assured the crowd that Lebanon « will flourish once again, » and encouraged Lebanon’s future generations to « draw from the good roots of those dedicated to serving society without using it for their own interests. »

« With a generous commitment to justice, plan together for a future of peace and development, » he said. « Be the source of hope that the country is waiting for! »

Unity in the Middle East

Before arriving for his meeting with young people, Leo met with the leaders of Lebanon’s various religious communities, including the Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities, which each make up approximately one-third of Lebanon’s population.

Despite the « trepidation and disheartenment » with which people look toward the Middle East, « a sense of hopefulness and encouragement can be found when we focus on what unites us: our common humanity, and our belief in a God of love and mercy. »

« In an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream, the people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions, stand as a powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word, and that unity, reconciliation, and peace are possible, » he said.

Recalling that 2025 marks 60 years since the publication of Nostra Aetate, the landmark document issued by the Second Vatican Council that opened up the church’s relationship with other faiths, Leo said that « true dialogue and collaboration is rooted in love. »

The document’s call to dialogue, he said, « should embrace all people of goodwill, reject prejudice, discrimination and persecution, and affirm the equal dignity of every human being. »

Leo with Lebanon’s Catholic community

In the morning, Leo urged Lebanon’s bishops, priests, members of religious communities and other churchworkers to « take a stand to ensure that no one else will have to flee from his or her country due to senseless and cruel conflicts. »

The pope traveled to the hilltop Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, just outside Beirut, with people withstanding the rain to line his route there and catch a glimpse of his motorcade passing by. Along the winding path that leads to the church, a large banner commemorated previous papal visits to the shrine by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and now Leo.

When Leo entered the church he was met with great fanfare from the approximately 2,000 people there, cheering and breaking out in chants of « Long live the pope! »

Many Maronite bishops who were present tend to the Maronite community abroad, populated by the large Lebanese expatriate diaspora; Leo’s visit to Lebanon gave them a reason to make the pilgrimage back to their homeland.

Before the church leaders, Leo praised Lebanon as a model where, « even when faced with extreme need and threatened by bombardment, Christians and Muslims, Lebanese and refugees from other lands, live together peacefully and help their neighbors. »

Only through the « unifying power of love even in the moments of trial » can « we free ourselves of injustice and oppression, » he said, even when « we are betrayed by people and organizations that ruthlessly exploit the desperation of those who have no alternative. »

At the shrine, Leo continued to drive home his message of uplifting young people, a major theme of his visit to Lebanon.

« It is important to foster their presence, even in ecclesial structures, appreciating their fresh contributions and providing them with opportunities, » he said.

At tomb of Lebanese icon, a papal first

The pope began the day by making history. He became the first pope to visit the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a towering religious figure known as the « miracle monk of Lebanon, » who was canonized in 1977.

The 19th-century saint, a Maronite monk and priest, lived as a hermit for 23 years and despite not writing or preaching publicly gained worldwide fame through the numerous miracles attributed to him.

Standing aside his tomb at St. Maron’s monastery, Leo asked for the intercession of St. Charbel to deliver communion and unity for the church and peace for the world.

« But we know well, and the saints remind us, that there is no peace without conversion of hearts, » the pope said. « May St. Charbel, therefore, help us to turn to God and ask for the gift of conversion for all of us. »

Upon landing in Beirut, Leo was received by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun; by custom, the office is always held by a Maronite Catholic.

For Lebanon’s Christians, the highest proportion of any Arab country, the visit also completes a long-held dream of Pope Francis, who repeatedly spoke of his desire to visit the country.

But a potential visit by the late pope was complicated by the overlapping crises that destabilized Lebanon in the back half of his pontificate: its 2019 economic collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people, the COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s collapse in 2022 and the Hezbollah-Israel conflict that erupted in 2023 and culminated in Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon in October 2024.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was struck in November 2024, but Israel continues to carry out regular strikes in southern Lebanon. 

How Leo calls for a lasting peace in the region during his visit there while maintaining the Holy See’s diplomatic neutrality will be closely watched.

Before Lebanon’s political leaders in the Baabda Presidential Palace, he called peace in the country « a work in progress » which requires resilience and a « continuous starting anew. »

« Almost everywhere in the world around us, a kind of pessimism and sense of powerlessness seem to have taken hold, » the pope said, but despite suffering economic turmoil, the effects of global instability and « the radicalization of identities and conflicts, » Lebanon has « always wanted, and known how, to start again. »

A wounded Lebanon welcomes Leo with open arms

While Leo’s three days in Muslim-majority Turkey unfolded quietly, Lebanon has treated his arrival as a national event. The government declared Dec. 1–2 public holidays, closing government offices and schools; from the moment he walked off the plane, cannons rang out in the distance announcing the pope’s arrival.

Hezbollah, the Shia Muslim militant group and political party that exerts immense influence in Lebanon, issued a statement welcoming the pope to Lebanon the day before his arrival and calling for him to reject the « injustice and aggression » inflicted on Lebanon by Israel.

Despite the steady decline of the Christian population in Lebanon, from 62.5% in 1970 to 32% today, largely due to emigration, enthusiasm for the visit has stretched across confessional lines. Banners depicting the pope were hung on buildings throughout the city ahead of his arrival, and at the airport where the pope arrived an airline hanger was draped with the motto for his visit: « Blessed are the Peacemakers. »

Whereas Leo’s Mass in Istanbul was celebrated in a modest arena, his closing Mass in Beirut is expected to draw more than 100,000 people.

Meeting a people marked by crisis

At his first event in Lebanon, Leo touched on the many crises facing the country, among them the lack of opportunity that drives out young people in pursuit of a better life. 

The Lebanese government estimates that about 15 million Lebanese live abroad, eclipsing its resident population of almost 6 million people.

« Uncertainty, violence, poverty and many other threats are leading to an exodus of young people and families seeking a future elsewhere, even though it is very painful to leave one’s homeland, » Leo said. « There are times when it is easier to flee, or simply more convenient to move elsewhere. »

But the pope said the challenge of « remaining in our homeland and working day by day to develop a civilization of love and peace remains something very valuable. »

« It takes real courage and foresight to stay or return to one’s own country, and to consider even somewhat difficult situations worthy of love and dedication, » he said.

Leo also highlighted the « essential role of women in the arduous and patient endeavour to preserve and build peace. »

« Their participation in social and political life, as well as in their own religious communities, represents a factor of true renewal throughout the world, as does the energy that comes from young people, » he said.

The pope’s remarks came as Lebanon continues to grapple with the aftermath of the 2020 port explosion, which devastated a largely Christian neighborhood and exposed the depth of the country’s entrenched corruption. A judicial investigation into the blast has repeatedly been stalled, and both Leo and Pope Francis publicly called for justice to the families of its victims.

In that context, Leo pushed Lebanon’s leadership to move beyond entrenched interests.

« The common good is more than the sum of many interests, for it draws together everyone’s goals as closely as possible, » he said « directing them in such a way that everyone will have more than if they were to move forward by themselves. »

Leo leaves Turkey, but Christian unity remains priority of pontificate

The pursuit of full communion among all Christians « is one of the priorities of the Catholic Church, » Leo said after attending an Orthodox Divine Liturgy presided by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during his final hours in Turkey Nov. 30.

« In particular, it is one of the priorities of my ministry as Bishop of Rome, whose specific role in the universal church is to be at the service of all, building and safeguarding communion and unity, » he said.

The pope began the day by visiting the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul, calling for the restoration of full communion between the churches, which, he said, « does not imply absorption or domination » but a full exchange of their gifts. 

Leo then traveled to Patriarchal Church of St. George to attend the Divine Liturgy. Afterward, he and Bartholomew offered an ecumenical blessing from the balcony of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s headquarters next door to cap off their three-day tour de fraternity in Turkey. 

The visit followed the pair’s joint prayer at the site of ancient Nicaea on Nov. 28 to commemorate the council out of which developed the creed professed by most of the world’s Christians. The next day, they signed a joint declaration pledging to pursue full communion between their churches and to advance efforts toward establishing a common date for Easter.

In his remarks at St. George’s Church, Leo also pointed to three shared challenges facing Catholics and Orthodox today: global conflict, the ecological crisis and the social impact of unregulated technological development, warning that new technologies must « be universally accessible » and not serve only « a privileged few. »

« We must strongly reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism, » he added. « Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation. »

Looking out over the lake, Leo and Bartholomew stood before the ruins of the ancient Basilica of St. Neophytos, believed by some to have been the venue for the Council of Nicaea. The basilica’s sunken foundations were rediscovered in Lake Iznik in 2014 from aerial photographs and later excavated.

In welcoming the pope and other delegations, Bartholomew said that the power of Nicaea « does not reside in what passes away, but in what endures forever. »

« Having the fervor of the faith of Nicaea burning in our hearts, let us run the course of Christian unity that is set before us, » he said.

Both Leo and Bartholomew have expressed their desire to achieve full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, though questions around doctrine and nontheological issues remain obstacles.

At Iznik, Leo framed the council as one « of fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making toward full communion. »

The pope’s decision to mark the council’s anniversary in Turkey, a trip originally planned for Pope Francis, signals the emphasis on unity he has developed early in his pontificate.

Turkey’s tiny Catholic community

While Leo’s first day in Turkey was dominated by meetings with political leaders in Ankara, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and an address to government officials, his second day shifted the focus to his role as a pastor. Before traveling to Iznik, Leo met representatives of Turkey’s minuscule Catholic community, visited a nursing home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor and had a private meeting with Turkey’s Chief Rabbi David Sevi.

At Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, tucked behind an unassuming building front in the heart of Turkey’s largest city, Leo urged Turkey’s Catholics to not « look with resignation at how small the Catholic Church has become numerically. »

Only 33,000 Catholics are present in Turkey, making up just 0.04% of the population, according to Vatican statistics.

The  church’s true strength lies in the « logic of littleness » chosen by God, Leo said.

« It does not lie in her resources or structures, nor do the fruits of her mission depend on numbers, economic power or social influence. »

Though the pope’s first meeting with a Catholic community abroad was nowhere near the size it would be in a country with a large Christian population, the more than 550 people who filled the cathedral made their fervor felt, cheering and chanting as Leo entered the church.

The pope, usually calm and mild-mannered, was visibly moved. His eyes welled with tears, and his voice caught as he offered his opening blessing.

In his remarks, Leo drew a direct line between the council whose anniversary he would commemorate later that day and the challenges currently facing Christians.

While the Council of Nicaea rejected the heresy of denying Jesus’ divinity known as Arianism, the pope warned of a « new Arianism present in today’s culture and sometimes even among believers, » in which Jesus is « reduced to a great historical figure, a wise teacher, or a prophet who fought for justice — nothing more. »

« Nicaea reminds us that Jesus Christ is not a figure of the past; he is the Son of God present among us, guiding history toward the future promised by God, » he said.

Yet Leo was quick to note that historical formulas that express faith « are always partial and provisional and can change as doctrine is more deeply understood. »

He recalled how St. John Henry Newman, whom the pope named a doctor of the church on Nov. 1, « insisted on the development of Christian doctrine, because doctrine is not an abstract, static idea, but reflects the very mystery of Christ. »

Despite its small size, Leo also highlighted the church’s ministries in Turkey, especially its pastoral outreach to refugees and migrants — a major reality in Turkey, which hosts millions of displaced people from Syria and elsewhere.

Ministering amid a Muslim majority

For the small Catholic community living in overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey, Leo’s visit carried both encouragement and visibility.

Sr. Imurere Irene, a missionary of the Society of Mary from Rwanda who has served in Turkey for two years, told the National Catholic Reporter that the Christian community’s small size fosters a shared sense of witness.

Christians of all creeds in Turkey « are united, we try to help each other, » she said while awaiting the pope’s arrival in the cathedral. « We try, through our way of life, to show the Muslim [community] what Christianity is and to be witness[es] of Christ. »

Franciscan Fr. Paolo Pugliese, an Italian who has been ministering in Turkey for 10 years, said the pope’s visit has generally been perceived positively by Turkey’s Muslim community, « especially because of the commitment of the pope in spreading peace, in talking about peace. »

Both Francis and Leo « have been very clear in talking about peace for Gaza, and this was quite a clear sign for Muslim countries that allowed them to feel their closeness, » he told NCR.

The war in Gaza will linger over the next leg of Leo’s trip to Lebanon, which has continued to be struck by Israeli air raids in recent weeks.

Though Lebanon’s Catholic community is sizable, the Muslim community will be listening attentively to how the leader of the world’s largest Christian church calls for peace in a region consumed by interreligious tensions and conflict.