ISTANBUL, Turkey — Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, touring the historic site without pausing to pray, instead focusing on strengthening ties with Orthodox patriarchs and promoting unity between Eastern and Western churches.
Wearing white socks after removing his shoes, Leo observed the 17th-century mosque’s domes and Arabic inscriptions as an imam pointed them out. While the Vatican had said the pope would observe a “brief moment of silent prayer,” he declined the invitation to pray, according to the mosque’s imam, Asgin Tunca.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Leo experienced the visit “in silence, in a spirit of contemplation and listening, with deep respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there in prayer.” The visit follows the precedent of his predecessors, who have made high-profile mosque visits as gestures of respect to Turkey’s Muslim majority.
Later in the day, Leo prayed with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew at Saint George’s Patriarchal Church. They signed a joint declaration committing to courageous steps toward unity, including working to establish a common date for Easter. The Eastern and Western churches split during the Great Schism of 1054, and while relations have improved, divisions remain.
Leo concluded his visit with a Catholic Mass at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena, attended by around 33,000 Catholics in Turkey. Visitors from Italy and Turkish converts to Christianity praised the pope’s outreach as a “powerful message for the global Christian community.”
The papal visit also faced logistical challenges, as the ITA Airways Airbus A320neo charter used by the pope required an urgent software update ordered by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, delaying some preparations.