Pope Leo visits Blue Mosque in first trip abroad as pontiff

Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.

His visit marked the first time a leader of the Catholic Church entered a Muslim place of worship during his four day trip to Türkiye.

The first United States pope bowed slightly before entering the vast seventeenth century structure. The mosque can hold ten thousand worshippers. Leo toured the building with the imam and the mufti of Istanbul, who explained its architecture and history.

He walked in white socks. He smiled often during the twenty minute visit. He exchanged light jokes with the lead muezzin, who performs the daily calls to prayer. The exchange drew attention to the informal mood of the moment during a tightly watched trip.

As the group left the building, the pope noticed that he was being guided through a door marked with a sign that read no exit. Leo mentioned the sign with a smile. The muezzin replied that he could stay in the mosque if he wished.

The Vatican said the visit took place in a spirit of reflection and listening. It highlighted the pope’s respect for the site and the faith of those who gather there. The mosque, formally named for Sultan Ahmed the First, is covered with thousands of blue ceramic tiles, giving rise to its popular name.

Leo did not visit the nearby Hagia Sophia. The decision marked a departure from previous papal trips. The former Byzantine cathedral stood as one of Christianity’s most significant houses of worship for nearly a thousand years. It was later used as a mosque during the Ottoman Empire. It became a museum in the twentieth century before being turned back into a mosque in 2020 by President Tayyip Erdogan.

The Vatican has not offered comment on Leo’s decision. The late Pope Francis voiced sadness in 2020 when the Hagia Sophia became a mosque again during his papacy.

Leo chose mainly Muslim Türkiye as his first overseas destination. The trip marks the one thousand seven hundredth anniversary of the early Church council held in the city. That gathering produced the Nicene Creed, a foundation of Christian belief still used today.

At a ceremony on Friday, the pope met Christian leaders from across the Middle East. He condemned violence in the name of religion. He urged unity among Christian communities. Speaking to clerics from Türkiye, Egypt, Syria and Israel, Leo said it remained a scandal that the world’s two point six billion Christians were not more united.

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