The pontiff jokingly wondered how CBS News' Chris Livesay got the bat through security and onto the plane. CBS News

The first-ever American pope's first trip abroad started off with a distinctly American moment, when Pope Leo XIV was gifted a baseball bat formerly owned by Chicago White Sox legend Nellie Fox.

CBS News correspondent Chris Livesay was among the 81 journalists on the papal flight to Turkey who were greeted by the pope during an unannounced stroll through the cabin to greet the Vatican press corps.

Many on board continued the long-standing tradition of presenting gifts to the pontiff as a courtesy, but Livesay had a particularly personal gift for the Chicago native: a Louisville Slugger baseball bat that once belonged to Hall of Fame second baseman Nellie Fox — a Chicago White Sox legend whose career coincided with Leo's childhood.

When the correspondent pointed out the initials and number on the end of the bat, which is a family heirloom given to Livesay by his cousin Jim Hayes (not Cardinals announcer Jim Hayes), the pope's eyes lit up.

"How did you get this through security?" joked the pope — a big fan of the White Sox — prompting laughter from the surrounding journalists before he thanked Livesay for the gift.

Other American journalists marked the Thanksgiving trip by offering Leo pumpkin and pecan pies.

"To the Americans: Happy Thanksgiving!" he said at the start of the flight, before emphasizing the importance of truthful journalism and noting that his visit to Turkey and Lebanon was rooted in "unity" and promoting peace across religious divides.

Once the pope arrived in Ankara, the tone shifted to diplomacy and ceremony.

After an official welcome at Esenboga International Airport, the Leo traveled 27 miles to the Ataturk Mausoleum, where he took part in a wreath-laying ceremony and signed the Book of Honor inside the Misak-? Millî Tower, followed by a brief museum visit dedicated to the late founder of the Turkish Republic.

The Ankara leg of Pope Leo's visit was to be brief. By Thursday evening, he's set to depart for Istanbul, where the spiritual heart of the papal visit will unfold over the coming days, including events tied to the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a pivotal gathering of bishops, summoned by then-Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325 A.D., which, among other things, set the date for Easter to be marked.

From there, Leo will continue to Lebanon, a country facing deep political and economic turmoil.

On Sunday, a top Hezbollah commander was killed in the capital Beirut, in a targeted strike by Israel just a week before the pope's visit to the city, underscoring security concerns on the ground.

Leo is expected to focus on solidarity with Christian communities in Lebanon and to reinforce calls for peace and coexistence across religious lines during his visit.

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