Pope Leo XIV called on the world’s religious communities to break down “the walls of prejudice and mistrust” that divide them at his first Mass abroad, in Türkiye. Source: NCR Online.
It rounded out a day of interreligious outreach and renewed appeals for Christian unity that included a pointed hint at a possible trip to Jerusalem in 2033.
The Pope celebrated Mass with about 5000 people, many foreign-born Catholics, in an Istanbul arena on Saturday, his last full day in Türkiye.
Meeting earlier with leaders of Christian communities in Türkiye, the Pope invited all Christians “to embark together on the spiritual journey that leads to the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033, with a view of returning to Jerusalem, to the upper room, the place of Jesus’s Last Supper, and the place of Pentecost, a journey that leads to full unity,” the Vatican said.
While not a formal invitation or an official announcement, the reference to Jerusalem sets the Church’s sights on a significant milestone to mark Christian unity following Friday’s ecumenical ceremony to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
In the afternoon, Leo signed a joint declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians. The two newly stated their hope for full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox churches and called on those hesitant of dialogue between Christian churches to work toward “reconciliation and unity.”
Pope Leo, who largely sticks to the script at public events, gave journalists their first surprise of his six-day trip to the Middle East when he opted not to pray at Istanbul’s famed Blue Mosque on Saturday morning.
The Vatican program for his visit stated that the Pope would offer a silent prayer during his tour around the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, just as Pope Benedict XIV and Francis had done during their visits there.
Leo took off his shoes upon entering the mosque in a sign of respect, walking across the carpeted floor in white socks and looked around the grand space, but he did not appear to take a moment’s pause during his guided tour.
He Leo left Istanbul yesterday for Lebanon, where he was met at the Beirut airport by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church.
FULL STORY
In first Mass abroad, Pope Leo sharpens calls for Christian unity (By Justin McLellan, NCR Online)
