Pope's first day in Istanbul boosts hopes of 'unification'

Like his predecessor, Pope Francis "prayed" at the Blue Mosque, which was his first stop in Istanbul on Nov. 29 in the second leg of a richly symbolic three-day visit to Turkey, before boosting hopes of those who support the unification of the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.

The pope was welcomed by Turkish authorities and GreekOrthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I at Atatürk Airport at 10.29 a.m. on Nov 29. “Your Holiness, beloved brother in Christ, we welcome you with great joy, esteem and love. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” said Bartholomew I on greeting the pope.

Pope Francis first went to the Sultan Ahmet mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, one of the greatest masterpieces of Ottoman architecture.

When his predecessor Benedict XVI visited the mosque in 2006, he assumed the Muslim attitude of prayer and turned toward Mecca in what many saw as a stunning gesture of reconciliation. The Vatican later made clear he had not actually prayed in the mosque but was "in meditation."

After Rahmi Yaran, the mufti of Istanbul, briefed him on the history of the mosque and quoted the Quranic verses about the life of Mother Mary, Pope Francis asked if he could pray in a gesture reminiscent of his predecessor. The two religious figures then prayed together, facing Mecca, in what a Vatican spokesman described as a joint "moment of silent adoration" of God.

"We need prayers so much," Yaran told the pope, before presenting him an İznik tile, like the ones decorating the Blue Mosque, bearing an image of tulip, an important symbol for Turks and Muslims.

The pope surprised the journalists who were waiting for him in front of the Blue Mosque by arriving with a civilian car that did not carry a license plate. Earlier, it was reported that Turkish authorities had refused the pope's request for "a humble car" on the grounds of security.

A group of school children waving Turkish and Vatican flags chanted "Long live Pope Francis" in Italian as the Muslim call to prayer rang out across Sultanahmet Square, the heart of Istanbul's historic quarter.

"We must show respect for each others beliefs. God willing the pope's visit will help in this respect," said Halil Ibrahim Cil, 24, a hospital worker from Istanbul. "We want to practice our religion in peace. We want people to understand Islam. We don't want war." 

Next stops: Hagia Sophia, two churches, Patriarchate:  The pontiff then went to the nearby Hagia Sophia Museum, originally built as an EasternOrthodox cathedral in the sixth century before being converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453.  Read More at hurriyetdailynews