Pontiff Leo XIV undertook his inaugural visit to a mosque since assuming office, observing the custom of removing his footwear as a gesture of deference, though he refrained from participating in prayer.
On Saturday, Leo journeyed to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, a significant religious site dating back to the 17th century and renowned as an architectural marvel from the Ottoman period, featuring interior walls and the dome adorned with exquisite turquoise ceramic tiles.
Accompanied by local Muslim dignitaries, Leo proceeded through the mosque’s courtyard and, after shedding his shoes, toured the interior while wearing only his white stockings. The first American Pope, known for his enthusiasm for the Chicago White Sox baseball team, recently quipped that he invariably dons “white socks.”
Aşgın Tunca, a Muezzin—an official tasked with proclaiming the Muslim call to prayer, and one of the guides for Leo through the Blue Mosque—stated that Leo had been extended an invitation to pray during his presence there.
Tunca recounted afterward, “I put it to him, should he desire to worship here, but he responded, ‘No, I’ll just observe,'” adding that he had previously been informed “they told me” the pontiff intended to “pray here.”
Further ambiguity arose when the Vatican press office issued a communication following the visit, claiming Leo had indeed prayed at the mosque and had been received by the head of Turkey’s state-controlled religious authority, despite neither of these occurrences taking place. The Vatican subsequently clarified that the statement, which alluded to Leo observing “a brief moment of prayer,” was disseminated mistakenly, having been sourced from pre-trip documentation.
Leo becomes the third Pope to step inside the Blue Mosque. Previous papal appearances at the location have invariably prompted speculation regarding whether the pontiff would offer prayers.
In 2014, Pope Francis dedicated two minutes to silent prayer while present at the mosque, and in 2006, Pope Benedict XVI engaged in what the Vatican termed an interval of “silent meditation,” an event some interpreted as a first instance of a Pope praying within a Muslim place of worship.
Subsequent to Leo’s visit, the Vatican released a notice stating the Pope “visited the Mosque in silence, in a spirit of reflection and listening, with profound respect for the place and the faith of those gathered here in prayer.”
The initial Pope to visit a mosque was John Paul II, who toured one in Syria in 2001. The past six decades have witnessed the Catholic Church vigorously pursuing dialogue with the Islamic world.
Pope Leo conveys a message of peace to the Middle East on his initial overseas journey. Essential details outlined here.
Pope Leo recently commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of a seminal Church declaration concerning interfaith cooperation, an event attended by hundreds of religious figures at the Vatican.
Later that Saturday, Leo convened a private meeting with leaders of regional Christian denominations before participating in a religious service at the Patriarchal Church of St. George alongside Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians.
Highlighting a central theme of Leo’s tour, the two leaders emphasized the “fraternal” ties now established between the two Christian communions, which separated in 1054 during the “Great Schism” due to doctrinal disagreements that fostered centuries of division.
Pope Leo and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a joint declaration.
Pope Leo and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a joint declaration. Dilara Senkaya/Reuters
Following the service, the two heads of church formalized their consensus by signing a joint declaration that denounced “any use of religion and the name of God to justify violence.”
“We hold that genuine interreligious dialogue, far from leading to syncretism and confusion, is vital for the harmonious living together of peoples from diverse traditions and cultures,” the shared document further asserted.
At a Mass held in Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena that drew thousands, Leo delivered a homily stressing the importance for Catholics to cultivate stronger relationships with other faiths.
“We desire to journey together by valuing what connects us, dismantling barriers of bias and distrust, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation so as to present to everyone a robust message of optimism and an invitation to become ‘peacemakers,’” he proclaimed.
The Catholic community in Turkey is notably small, numbering approximately 33,000 according to Vatican figures. This group is heterogeneous, comprising various ethnic minorities—such as Armenians and Assyrians—alongside a substantial contingent of immigrants. Flags representing numerous nations were visible during the Mass, and palpable excitement was evident among the approximately 3,000 attendees.
Some participants sported T-shirts bearing Leo’s likeness, others chanted “Viva il Papa,” and one woman waved a flag incorporating the colors of both Turkey and the Vatican.
The celebration of the liturgy incorporated several languages, including Turkish, English, Latin, Armenian, and Aramaic, which mirrored the disparate church traditions present in Turkey. A live Turkish translation of the proceedings was projected onto a large screen. Pope Leo delivered his homily in English. Pope Leo delivered his homily in English.
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