Pope Leo XIV has made his inaugural visit to a Muslim place of worship, specifically Istanbul’s Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly known as the Blue Mosque. This visit marks the Pope’s first trip to such a site since he began his papacy in May. Upon entering the mosque, the Pope was observed bowing, although reports indicate that he did not engage in prayer, unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, who prayed during their visits in 2014 and 2006, respectively.
The Vatican released a statement describing the Pope’s tour as an occasion undertaken “in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer.” Currently, the Pope is in Turkey for a four-day visit, after which he plans to travel to Lebanon.
Following his visit to the mosque, the Pope was welcomed at St. George’s Cathedral in Istanbul by Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Blue Mosque, renowned for its thousands of blue and turquoise ceramic tiles, was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I, who led the Ottoman Empire from 1603 to 1617. It draws millions of visitors annually.
The visit to Turkey and Lebanon had originally been planned by the late Pope Francis, but the theme of fostering interreligious dialogue and building bridges was embraced by Pope Leo shortly after his election. On the first day of his trip, he expressed concerns about escalating global conflicts, emphasizing that these tensions threaten the future of humanity. In Lebanon, where a significant portion of the population is Christian, he is anticipated to meet with faith leaders and youth. On the final day, he will conduct a Mass at the Beirut waterfront, commemorating the victims of the 2020 port explosion.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp917zr8no?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss