Yet beyond the broker role, Francis also has used the bully pulpit of the papacy to speak out, often in blunt terms, about issues like what he sees as the shortcomings of global capitalism (and the attendant problem of rising inequality) and, especially, his outrage over the proliferation of war and violence in the world. At different times, he has spoken out against conflicts in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria as well as in Africa.

As leader of one billion Roman Catholics, Francis also has repeatedly condemned the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and the “plotters of terrorism,” alluding to militants with the Islamic State. Last year, he seemed to veer close to endorsing a military attack on the Islamic State when he said that it would be legitimate for the international community to confront the group’s “unjust aggression.”

Francis visited Turkey last November, partly to bolster the standing of his friend and ally, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, leader of the country’s Orthodox Christians. He also met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Ankara hoped to signal a joint campaign against Islamophobia. On Sunday, Turkish officials portrayed the pope’s latest remarks as a betrayal.

“The pope’s statement is surprising and disappointing, especially following his message of dialogue during his visit last November,” said an official from the prime minister’s office, speaking on the condition of anonymity by government protocol. “A one-side statement that only acknowledges the suffering of Christians and ignores the suffering of the Muslims at that time.

“These kinds of statements only damage and hinder the process of reconciliation,” the official added.

The issue of reconciliation between Turkey and the country’s Armenian population remains unresolved. When Mr. Erdogan was the nation’s prime minister, he suggested that an intergovernmental history commission be formed between Turkey and Armenia, and perhaps a third country, to assess the issue.

Last year, Mr. Erdogan stopped short of using the word “genocide” but in an unprecedented move, he offered condolences to the grandchildren of those who lost their lives in the events that began in 1915, in a statement released in nine languages.