2014-11-28 10:32:00

Pope Francis on his way to Turkey


(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis is currently on his way to Turkey's capital Ankara on a three day trip which ends on Sunday November 30th. He's  due to touch down at 12 am Rome time and will be met by this nation's government leaders. This Apostolic journey marks his sixth abroad and takes him on Saturday morning to Istanbul.

Pope Francis goes at the invitation of both the government and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the Orthodox world. The visit is timed to coincide with the celebrations of the Orthodox Church to mark the Feast of Saint Andrew on November 30th.

The weekend visit to this secular but Muslim nation, at a crossroads between east and west, provides Pope Francis with opportunities to meet privately as well as pray with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

On Saturday Pope Francis will also visit the four centuries old Sultan Ahmet Mosque, known as the Blue mosque because of its play of turquoise and blue ceramic tiles.

Before visiting the Mosque he'll go to an architectural wonder known as the Hagia Sophia. A building which has a chequered history as it was once a Church of the Christian Byzantine Empire, converted to a mosque in the 15th century. But since 1935 when Turkey became a secular state it has housed a museum.

Francis is the fourth pope to travel to Turkey, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, while Archbishop Angelo Roncalli is also remembered with great affection by the Turkish people, as he served as apostolic delegate there for nine years before being elected Pope John XXIII.

But when he touches down in Ankara today he will dedicate time to more official appointments, relations with the Turkish government and its authority for religious affairs.   








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