Pope Leo lamented during his first trip outside Italy as Catholic leader on Thursday that the world was seeing an unusual number of bloody conflicts, and warned that a third world war was being "fought piecemeal" with humanity's future at risk.

The pontiff begins a trip to Turkey and Lebanon on Thursday — the first foreign voyage of his papacy, and his biggest test yet.

In a new doctrinal note, Pope Leo and the Vatican sharply reject polygamy and growing Western polyamory, praising monogamy as an exclusive union between one man and one woman.

By Joshua McElwee ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT TO ANKARA (Reuters) -Like many Americans on the annual holiday of Thanksgiving, Pope Leo was travelling on Thursday, flying from Rome to Turkey for his first overseas trip as leader of the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV has a message for Americans celebrating Thanksgiving. While speaking with NBC's Molly Hunter on Nov. 25, the Chicago native shared what he hopes people remember during the annual holiday.

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy -- Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that Thanksgiving was a “beautiful feast” that unites believers and non-believers alike, as he issued a message of thanks ahead of the U.S. holiday.

A papal video message appeared before a crowd of hundreds, as Guilherme Peixoto, a priest who doubles as an electronic D.J., put on a show.

"We commend (Pope Leo's) astute stance on the Palestinian issue," Erdogan said in an address to the Pope and political and religious leaders at the presidential library in the Turkish capital Ankara.