Pope Leo XIV visits Istanbul’s Blue Mosque but breaks tradition by declining to pray

By
EDGARDO HERNAL
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ISTANBUL – Pope Leo XIV declined to pray during his visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, a departure from the practice of previous pontiffs and a move that appeared to catch even the Vatican off guard.

The visit to Turkey marked the first stop of Leo’s inaugural trip abroad as pope, which will also bring him to Lebanon. The first US-born pontiff removed his shoes as required before entering the mosque and toured the 17th century landmark, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, alongside its imam.

Imam Asgin Tunca said he invited the pope to pray, describing the mosque as “Allah’s house,” but Leo declined and said he preferred simply to visit the site. Tunca said the pope wanted to experience the atmosphere of the mosque and appeared pleased during the tour.

The decision contrasted with the actions of Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and Pope Francis in 2014, both of whom paused for silent prayer facing east during their visits.

The change in protocol also appeared to surprise the Vatican. Prior to the visit, Vatican officials said Leo would observe a brief moment of silent prayer. After the tour, the Vatican issued a press release stating that the prayer had taken place, then later withdrew the statement and said it had been sent in error. A corrected statement said the pope visited the mosque in silence and in a spirit of contemplation and listening, showing deep respect for the sacred space and for the faith practiced there.

Beyond the Blue Mosque, Pope Leo visited the patriarchal church of Saint George, where he prayed with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians. He later presided over a Catholic Mass at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.

Leo is scheduled to continue his trip to Lebanon on Sunday. His travel plans faced a minor disruption after his Airbus charter was affected by a global software update that has delayed hundreds of flights across Europe and Asia.

Author profile

Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.

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