Pope Leo surprised Vatican officials today with his behavior during a significant visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. This marked his initial visit to a Muslim place of worship as the head of the Catholic Church. Upon entering, he respectfully removed his shoes and was escorted around the vast complex by the mosque’s imam and the mufti of Istanbul, all while wearing white socks.
During the approximately 20-minute tour, Pope Leo did not engage in prayer, despite earlier media briefings indicating otherwise. The Vatican press office initially issued an erroneous statement claiming that both the prayer and the reception had taken place before correcting the mistake later on.
Askin Musa Tunca, the lead muezzin of the mosque, mentioned that he offered Pope Leo a moment for prayer during the visit, but the Pope expressed a preference for simply exploring the mosque. Furthermore, Leo was observed sharing light-hearted moments with Tunca, who leads the mosque’s daily calls to prayer.
As he departed the mosque, the Pope humorously remarked on being guided towards an exit labeled “No exit,” to which Tunca playfully suggested that Leo could stay if he wished. The Vatican promptly released a statement post-visit, highlighting Leo’s visit as a gesture of reflection and respect towards the mosque and its worshippers.
Pope Leo, previously not widely known internationally before assuming his papal role in May, chose Turkey as his inaugural overseas destination to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of a significant early Church council held there that led to the Nicene Creed, a fundamental Christian declaration.
During a ceremony with Christian leaders from the Middle East, Pope Leo denounced religious violence and encouraged Christian unity, addressing senior clerics from various countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Syria, and Israel. The Blue Mosque, named after Sultan Ahmed I, features intricate blue ceramic tile decorations and stands opposite the Hagia Sophia, formerly a Byzantine cathedral.
Unlike past visits by previous popes, Pope Leo opted not to visit the Hagia Sophia, which served as a pivotal Christian site for centuries before being converted into a mosque and later a museum. The Vatican has refrained from commenting on Leo’s decision regarding the Hagia Sophia, a site visited by the late Pope Francis in 2014, who expressed disappointment over its reconversion into a mosque in 2020.