Like all visitors, Pope Leo XIV took off his shoes when entering the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, as a sign of respect. The visit to the temple took place on Saturday morning, on the occasion of the third day of his travel to Türkiye. This was the first time that the Pope, who was elected in May as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, had visited an Islamic place of worship since taking office after Francis’ death.
- Context: Leo XIV seeks to make his mark on a trip to the Middle East engineered by Pope Francis
- Previous day: The Pope calls for unity among Christians in celebration in Türkiye alongside the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church
The gesture of taking off your shoes shows a sign of respect. The pope walked the orange carpet wearing white socks — not obligatory parts of the papal uniform, but in this case, likely a nod to Leo XIV’s favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox.
The Pope spent about 15 minutes inside the mosque, accompanied by prominent Islamic figures on a tour around it. Muezzin Ashgin Tunja said that the Pope was invited to pray during his visit. Muezzins are the officials who call Muslims to prayer.
– He wanted to see the mosque, he wanted to feel the atmosphere of the mosque and he was very happy – Ashgin told reporters.
However, the muezzin noted that despite his call to prayer, the Pope stated that he would “just take a look.” As the visit began, a lost crow flew under the vast domes and cawed as it searched for a way out, according to an Agence France-Presse correspondent who accompanied the delegation.
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The Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul’s top tourist attractions, with six minarets, a roof of cascading domes, and an interior lined with vibrant blue Iznik tiles. With such a symbolic gesture, on his first trip abroad since his pontificate, Leo XIV is following in the footsteps of Popes Benedict XVI, who visited the site in 2006, and Francis, who did the same in 2014.
Outside, dozens of spectators gathered behind high barriers, most of them foreign tourists.
“The Pope’s travels are always very beautiful because he brings peace,” said Roberta Ribolla, a 50-year-old tourist from northern Italy who was waiting outside, smiling.
“It is good for people from different cultures to meet, especially since foreigners are filled with Islamophobia,” stressed Sedat Keizer, a street vendor who sells grilled corn.
– But the Pope will seem more sincere if he mixes with the public. “No one can see him or interact with him,” the 33-year-old said, pointing to the massive security apparatus outside the mosque.
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Others expressed their frustration openly and did not share the same opinion.
Bekir Sarikaya, a 40-year-old Turkish tourist, said that his parents “traveled a thousand kilometers” to pray at the temple but were prevented from reaching the temple. “The Pope has nothing to do with being here.”
But his wife objected:
– We can visit churches in Istanbul, so he has the right to visit our mosques – he said.
Unlike his predecessors, Leo
In 2020, the UNESCO World Heritage site was once again converted into a mosque, in a move that sparked international condemnation, including from the late Francis, who said he was “very sad.”
On Saturday afternoon, the Pope will meet with local religious leaders and participate in a short ceremony at the Patriarchal Church of St. George before meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in his palace on the banks of the mouth of the Golden Horn. There, the two will sign a joint statement, the contents of which have not yet been revealed.
At 11 a.m. (Brasilia time), the Pope will celebrate Mass in the city’s Volkswagen Plaza, where about 4,000 faithful are expected to join him.
On Sunday morning, after praying in the Armenian Cathedral and leading the Divine Liturgy, the Orthodox equivalent of Mass, at St. George’s Church, he will head to Lebanon on the second leg of his trip — his first trip abroad since being elected to the presidency.
On Thursday, the Pope met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and visited Iznik, ancient Nicaea, south of Istanbul, to perform a large prayer over the remains of a sunken cathedral dating back to the fourth century, in the presence of Orthodox and Protestant religious figures. After Paul VI (1967), John Paul II (1979), Benedict XVI (2006), and Francis (2014), Leo XIV is the fifth pope to visit Turkey.