ROME — Pope Francis said on Thursday he planned to visit Turkey's Iznik next year for the anniversary of the first council of the Christian Church, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The early centuries of Christianity were marked by debate about how Jesus could be both God and man, and the Church decided on the issue at the First Council of Nicaea in 325.

"During the Holy Year, we will also have the opportunity to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the first great Ecumenical Council, that of Nicaea. I plan to go there," the pontiff was quoted as saying at a theological committee event.

The city, now known as Iznik, is in western Anatolia, some 150 km (100 miles) southeast of Istanbul

The pope had already expressed in June the desire to go on the trip and the spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, had said the two men would celebrate the important recurrence together but no official confirmation had been made yet.

Despite international travel becoming increasingly difficult for him because of health issues, Francis, who will turn 88 on Dec. 17, completed in September a 12-day tour across Asia, the longest of his 11-year papacy. — Reuters