Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul) of the Armenian Apostolic Church, issued a statement regarding Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Turkey, and expressed gratitude on the occasion of his upcoming visit to an Armenian church in Istanbul, the Vatican’s Armenian service reports.

Calling the pontiff’s upcoming visit to this “a great consolation,” the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople expressed hope that it will yield the best results in terms of interchurch relations and Christian unity.

According to the Vatican, Pope Leo will visit the Surp Asdvadzadzin (Holy Mother of God) Armenian Patriarchal Church in Istanbul on the last day of his visit to Turkey, on Sunday, at 9:15am local time.