Pope Leo surprised Vatican officials today with his behavior during a momentous visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. This marked his inaugural visit to a Muslim place of worship as the Catholic Church’s leader. Upon entering, he respectfully removed his shoes and was escorted around the vast complex by the mosque’s imam and Istanbul’s mufti, donning white socks.
Despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise, Pope Leo did not engage in prayer during the brief 20-minute tour. Following the visit, initially, the Vatican press office erroneously stated that both the prayer and welcome had taken place, later retracting the misinformation.
Musa Tunca, the mosque’s main muezzin, disclosed that during the tour, he offered Pope Leo a moment for prayer, to which the Pope declined, expressing his preference to simply explore the mosque. Additionally, Leo shared light-hearted moments and jokes with Tunca, who leads the daily calls to prayer.
As Pope Leo exited the mosque, he humorously noticed he was being directed through an entry door marked “No exit.” Amused, he remarked on the sign before being playfully informed by Tunca that he could stay if he wished. The Vatican emphasized that Leo undertook the tour with deep respect for the mosque and its worshippers.
Pope Leo, a relatively unknown figure before his papal election in May, selected predominantly Muslim Turkey as his first international destination to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of a significant early Church council held there. This council resulted in the creation of the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith widely used by Christians worldwide.
During a ceremony commemorating the Church council with Christian leaders from the Middle East, Pope Leo condemned religious violence and urged Christians to bridge longstanding divisions. He emphasized the importance of unity among the world’s 2.6 billion Christians.
The Blue Mosque, named after Sultan Ahmed I of the Ottoman Empire, features intricate blue ceramic tile decorations, giving rise to its popular moniker. Situated opposite the Hagia Sophia, a former cathedral, the mosque did not form part of Leo’s itinerary, diverging from past papal visits to Turkey. The Hagia Sophia, once a significant Christian place of worship, served as a mosque for 500 years before becoming a museum and later reverting to a mosque in 2020.
While the Vatican has not commented on Leo’s decision to skip the Hagia Sophia, his predecessor, Pope Francis, visited the site in 2014 and expressed regret over its reconversion into a mosque. Pope Leo’s visit to Turkey is part of a broader four-day trip, including a scheduled stop in Lebanon.
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