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| Pope makes Turkish mosque visit | Pope makes Turkish mosque visit |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Pope Benedict XVI has visited one of Turkey's most famous mosques in what is being seen as an attempt to mend relations with the Muslim community. | Pope Benedict XVI has visited one of Turkey's most famous mosques in what is being seen as an attempt to mend relations with the Muslim community. |
| During his tour of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the pontiff turned towards Mecca in a gesture of Muslim prayer. | During his tour of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the pontiff turned towards Mecca in a gesture of Muslim prayer. |
| It marks only the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship. | It marks only the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship. |
| Earlier, the Pope visited the nearby Hagia Sophia Museum - a site heavy with Christian and Muslim symbolism - drawing protests on the street. | |
| The tour of the Blue Mosque, across the square from Hagia Sophia, was a last-minute addition to the schedule - part of efforts by the Pope to mend the damage his comments on Islam in September caused across the Muslim world. | The tour of the Blue Mosque, across the square from Hagia Sophia, was a last-minute addition to the schedule - part of efforts by the Pope to mend the damage his comments on Islam in September caused across the Muslim world. |
| The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world Pope Benedict XVI | The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world Pope Benedict XVI |
| Speaking to an academic audience in Germany, the Pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterised Islam as a violent religion. | Speaking to an academic audience in Germany, the Pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterised Islam as a violent religion. |
| While the Pope insisted the remarks did not reflect his own views, the speech was widely reported and caused anger across the Islamic world. | While the Pope insisted the remarks did not reflect his own views, the speech was widely reported and caused anger across the Islamic world. |
| Street protests | Street protests |
| The Pope spent half an hour in Hagia Sophia, a domed complex that was once a Christian centre before becoming a mosque and eventually, a museum. | The Pope spent half an hour in Hagia Sophia, a domed complex that was once a Christian centre before becoming a mosque and eventually, a museum. |
| Dozens of people linked to an Islamist-nationalist party demonstrated against the Pope's visit, saying the 79-year-old pontiff's visit was an affront to the secularism enshrined in Turkey's constitution, as well as an attempt to stake a Catholic claim to the Hagia Sophia site. | Dozens of people linked to an Islamist-nationalist party demonstrated against the Pope's visit, saying the 79-year-old pontiff's visit was an affront to the secularism enshrined in Turkey's constitution, as well as an attempt to stake a Catholic claim to the Hagia Sophia site. |
| They had warned that any hint of a prayer there would be deeply offensive, but the Pope refrained from any religious gesture, such as praying or crossing himself. | They had warned that any hint of a prayer there would be deeply offensive, but the Pope refrained from any religious gesture, such as praying or crossing himself. |
| The BBC's David Willey in Istanbul says the Pope has been performing a delicate balancing act during his trip between creating better relations with the Orthodox church, while also reaching out to Muslims. | The BBC's David Willey in Istanbul says the Pope has been performing a delicate balancing act during his trip between creating better relations with the Orthodox church, while also reaching out to Muslims. |
| The third day of the Pope's trip to Turkey began with a liturgical celebration by the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. | The third day of the Pope's trip to Turkey began with a liturgical celebration by the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. |
| See a map of where Orthodox and Catholic Europe meet | See a map of where Orthodox and Catholic Europe meet |
| A prime reason for Pope Benedict's visit to Turkey has been to heal the centuries-old rift between the two Churches. | A prime reason for Pope Benedict's visit to Turkey has been to heal the centuries-old rift between the two Churches. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY The Pope's visit has had a positive impact on relations between our two holy religions Emre, Istanbul href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=4818&edition=1&ttl=20061128091957" class="">Send us your comments href="/1/hi/talking_point/6189398.stm" class="">Read our online debate Patriarch Bartholomew and the Pope embraced and exchanged the kiss of peace and love during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. | |
| The kiss of peace is considered a sign of reconciliation and a symbol of fellowship of the faithful. | The kiss of peace is considered a sign of reconciliation and a symbol of fellowship of the faithful. |
| During the liturgy, the Pope read out a prayer in English, and was presented with a special copy of the Bible by Patriarch Bartholomew. | During the liturgy, the Pope read out a prayer in English, and was presented with a special copy of the Bible by Patriarch Bartholomew. |
| "The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world," the Pope said after the meeting. | "The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world," the Pope said after the meeting. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY This visit is an opportunity to show that a Muslim country can be secular, free and democratic Onur, Istanbul Send us your comments Read our online debate | HAVE YOUR SAY This visit is an opportunity to show that a Muslim country can be secular, free and democratic Onur, Istanbul Send us your comments Read our online debate |
| WHERE EAST MEETS WEST Kosovo is an overwhelmingly Muslim province of Serbia, pushing for independenceIn Lviv and other western parts of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church predominates - a church that follows Eastern rites but vows allegiance to RomeRepublika Srpska is the Serb part of BosniaCyprus is divided between the Greek, Orthodox south and the breakaway Turkish, Muslim north | WHERE EAST MEETS WEST Kosovo is an overwhelmingly Muslim province of Serbia, pushing for independenceIn Lviv and other western parts of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church predominates - a church that follows Eastern rites but vows allegiance to RomeRepublika Srpska is the Serb part of BosniaCyprus is divided between the Greek, Orthodox south and the breakaway Turkish, Muslim north |
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