Pope
Francis has attended an Istanbul church ceremony alongside Patriarch
Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians. In a
symbolic show of deference, Francis asked for Bartholomew's blessing.
Deutsche Welle, 30 Nov 2014
On his
third and final day in Turkey, Pope Francis joined Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew at the Orthodox Church of St. George in Istanbul, a key meeting
aimed at improving relations between the ancient western and eastern arms of
Christianity.
The two
religious leaders had also met several times on Saturday, when Bartholomew
thanked the pontiff for his pursuit of the "fraternal and stable advance …
for the restoration of full communion between our churches."
Bartholomew blessed Francis at the pope's request |
During a
Saturday evening service, Francis had bowed to Bartholomew and asked for his
blessing "for me and the Church of Rome." This step was considered
symbolically significant, given that for many years patriarchs were expected to
kiss the feet of popes. The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over
differences on the primacy of the papacy.
Francis was
also scheduled to meet young Christian refugees from Syria and Iraq later on
Sunday. Well over a million refugees are currently in Turkey, many of them
after fleeing the self-styled "Islamic State," which has laid claim
to territory in neighboring Iraq and Syria. The pope has repeatedly called for
better treatment of refugees and migrants in the past. The Vatican confirmed
shortly before his departure for Turkey that Francis would deliver a speech to
the youths.
The
77-year-old Argentine, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, began his three-day trip in
the Turkish capital Ankara, meeting Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in
his newly-inaugurated palace. On Saturday, his first day in Istanbul, he
visited the Hagia Sophia and shared a "moment of silent adoration"
with Grand Mufti Rahmi Yaran in the city's Blue Mosque.
msh/tj (AP, dpa, KNA)
Related Article:
Pope Francis is welcomed by Mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran (R) outside Sultan
Ahmet mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul November 29, 2014. |
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