The Pope visits the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, but does not stop to pray

– Cindy Wooden, Istanbul, CNS

The first event on the third day of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon was a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. He is not the first pope to pray in a mosque. St. John Paul II did so in 2001 in Damascus, and Benedict XVI and Francis did so in 2006 and 2014, respectively, at the same Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

Upon his arrival, Pope Leo XIV was welcomed and accompanied to the Mosque by the Head of the Diyanet, the President of Religious Affairs of Turkey.

Explanations of the muezzin

During the visit, the Pontiff of the Catholic Church listened to Askin Musa Tunca, the muezzin of the mosque, who calls people to prayer five times a day, explaining the building, its construction, and how Muslims pray. And the Pope asked questions.

Tunca later told reporters that the mosque is “the house of Allah; it is not my house or yours,” and that is why he told Pope Leo that he could pray if he wanted to. “It's okay,” he said, “I wanted to see the mosque.”.

The journalists pressed Tunca, asking him again if the Pope prayed. “Perhaps for himself, I don't know,” he replied.

Pope Leo: listening and respect

The Vatican press office later stated that Pope Leo visited the mosque «in a spirit of reflection and attentive listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer.».

As is customary, Pope Leo removed his shoes in the courtyard before entering the mosque wearing white socks.

21,000 blue tiles

Formally called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, this Muslim house of worship was completed in 1617 and is known as the Blue Mosque because of the more than 21,000 blue tiles that decorate its walls, arches, and domes. The tiles come from Iznik, the site of ancient Nicaea, which Pope Leo had visited the day before.

Upon leaving the mosque, Pope Leo pointed out to Tunca that they were passing through a gate with a sign that read: “No exit.” The muezzin replied that the sign was for tourists, but that if the Pope preferred, “you don't have to leave. You can stay here.”.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the Blue Mosque in 2006, and Pope Francis visited it in 2015. Both observed a moment of silence in front of the mihrab, which indicates the direction of the Islamic holy city of Mecca. St. John Paul II was the first pontiff to visit a mosque when he visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, in 2001.

Esteem for Muslim brothers and sisters

At the end of October, Pope Leo presided over celebrations at the Vatican marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council document on relations with other religions of the world. 

The bishops present at Vatican II affirmed that Catholics hold their Muslim brothers and sisters in high esteem, who “worship the one God, living and subsisting in himself; merciful and almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” And «they strive to submit themselves wholeheartedly even to his inscrutable decrees.”.