Pope Considering a Quick Visit to a Mosque During Trip to Turkey
--Pope Benedict XVI is considering stopping briefly at Istanbul's Blue Mosque during next week's trip to Turkey, the Vatican's spokesman said Friday.
The trip comes amid heightened tensions between the West and Islam. It will be Benedict's first to a Muslim nation and authorities predict massive protests against the pontiff, who angered Muslims with recent comments about Islam and violence.
"I can confirm that the possibility of a brief stop at the mosque following a visit to the (Haghia Sophia) museum is being examined," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
Asked whether the visit would be meant as a gesture of goodwill toward Islam, Lombardi replied, "It certainly is a sign of respect."
It would be the first time Benedict visits a mosque as pope. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria, in 2001 — a papal first.
Benedict's speech in Germany in September that linked Islam to violence sowed anger across the Islamic world, raising concerns for his safety during his Nov. 28-Dec. 1 visit to Turkey.
Earlier this week a group of nationalist Turks briefly occupied Haghia Sophia — a Byzantine church that was turned into a mosque then a museum — to protest the papal visit. On Sunday, members of a pro-Islamic party were expected to hold a large protest in Istanbul to denounce the pope's visit.
Although the official focus of the pope's trip is his scheduled meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Benedict is widely expected to use his first visit to a Muslim country to improve relations with Muslims.
Benedict said he regretted that his speech caused offense and stressed that the quotes did not reflect his personal opinion. He has also expressed esteem for Islam.
Also Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be out of Turkey when Benedict visits, told private TGRT television that he may be able to meet the pontiff briefly at the airport if their arrival and departure times coincide.
Erdogan will be attending a NATO summit in Latvia. But newspapers have speculated that Erdogan was trying to avoid an encounter with the pontiff because the premier's Islamic-rooted party faces elections next year. Erdogan has denied that he was trying to avoid the pope.
AP
"I can confirm that the possibility of a brief stop at the mosque following a visit to the (Haghia Sophia) museum is being examined," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
Asked whether the visit would be meant as a gesture of goodwill toward Islam, Lombardi replied, "It certainly is a sign of respect."
It would be the first time Benedict visits a mosque as pope. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria, in 2001 — a papal first.
Benedict's speech in Germany in September that linked Islam to violence sowed anger across the Islamic world, raising concerns for his safety during his Nov. 28-Dec. 1 visit to Turkey.
Earlier this week a group of nationalist Turks briefly occupied Haghia Sophia — a Byzantine church that was turned into a mosque then a museum — to protest the papal visit. On Sunday, members of a pro-Islamic party were expected to hold a large protest in Istanbul to denounce the pope's visit.
Although the official focus of the pope's trip is his scheduled meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Benedict is widely expected to use his first visit to a Muslim country to improve relations with Muslims.
Benedict said he regretted that his speech caused offense and stressed that the quotes did not reflect his personal opinion. He has also expressed esteem for Islam.
Also Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be out of Turkey when Benedict visits, told private TGRT television that he may be able to meet the pontiff briefly at the airport if their arrival and departure times coincide.
Erdogan will be attending a NATO summit in Latvia. But newspapers have speculated that Erdogan was trying to avoid an encounter with the pontiff because the premier's Islamic-rooted party faces elections next year. Erdogan has denied that he was trying to avoid the pope.
AP
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