Pope Leo follows papal tradition with Blue Mosque visit • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Interfaith Dialogue: The Pope's visit to the Blue Mosque and his joint declaration with Patriarch Bartholomew highlight efforts to foster understanding and cooperation between different religious communities.
• Religious Extremism and Nationalism: The opposition to the Pope's visit, characterized by accusations of Western imperialism and a "modern crusade," demonstrates the challenges posed by nationalistic and extremist elements.
• Ecumenism: The Pope's message of building bridges to other branches of the Catholic Church, other Christian churches (Protestants, Orthodox), and other religions (Islam, Judaism) underscores the importance of ecumenical efforts.
• Symbolic Actions: The Pope removing his shoes at the mosque and his sermon's analogy of building bridges are symbolic gestures aimed at promoting unity and respect.

Pope's Visit to Istanbul

1. Visit to the Blue Mosque:

• The Pope visited the Blue Mosque on the European side of Istanbul.
• This marked his first visit to a mosque as Pope.
• Previous Popes Francis and Benedict had also visited the same mosque.
• The Pope removed his shoes and walked around in his white socks.
• When asked if he wished to pray, he declined, stating he only wanted to visit.

2. Meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew:

• Following his mosque visit, the Pope met with Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Orthodox Church, on the other side of the city.
• They signed a joint declaration.
• Key Point: The declaration fundamentally rejected any use of religion to justify violence.

3. Mass and Sermon:

• The Pope conducted a mass for 4,000 people at a basketball court.
• Theme of the Mass: The Pope drew an analogy between Istanbul's three bridges across the Bosphorus and the need to build three bridges in our own lives.
  • Bridge 1: To other branches of the Catholic Church.
  • Bridge 2: To other Christian churches, specifically mentioning Protestants and the Orthodox Church.
  • Bridge 3: To other religions, including Islam and Judaism.

Opposition to the Pope's Visit

1. Nationalist Minority Opposition:

• For the first time, opposition to the Pope's visit was observed.
• This opposition was attributed to a "nationalistic minority."
• Newspaper Coverage: The newspaper Aydinlik published a front-page photograph of the Pope with the headline "Pope is a CIA Official."

2. Demonstrations:

• A group of demonstrators protested in Istanbul, near where the Pope was meeting Patriarch Bartholomew.
• Accusations:
  • The Pope represented the "face of Western imperialism" attempting to conquer Turkey.
  • The Pope was waging a "modern crusade against Turkey."
• Protest Slogan: One placard read, "Pope take your hands off Turkey."
• Contextualization of Opposition: The reporter noted the irony of this slogan given that 99.8% of Turkey is Muslim.
• Scale of Opposition: The reporter emphasized that this was the work of "far-right extremists" and that the demonstrators numbered only 40 in a city of 16 million people.

Conclusion

The Pope's visit to Istanbul was marked by significant interfaith engagement, including a visit to the Blue Mosque and a joint declaration with the Orthodox Patriarch, emphasizing the rejection of religiously motivated violence. His sermon called for building bridges of understanding between different Christian denominations and other religions. However, the visit also encountered opposition from a small group of nationalistic extremists who accused the Pope of Western imperialism and a "modern crusade," highlighting the persistent challenges of religious and political extremism. The reporter stressed that this opposition was a fringe element and did not represent the broader sentiment.