Pope Leo XIV Visits Istanbul’s Blue Mosque in a Gesture of Interfaith Respect

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, made a profound symbolic gesture of interfaith harmony on Saturday by visiting Istanbul’s iconic Blue Mosque. On the third day of his inaugural overseas trip since his election in May, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics walked in the footsteps of his predecessors, Benedit XVI and Francis, entering one of Islam’s most significant places of worship in a move designed to bridge centuries of religious divide.

According to a detailed report from Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Pope arrived at the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly known as the Blue Mosque for its interior’s vibrant blue Iznik tiles, early in the morning.

In accordance with Islamic tradition, he removed his shoes before stepping onto the mosque's burnt orange carpet.

Observers noted a personal touch in his attire: he wore white socks, a departure from strict papal uniform that was widely interpreted as a nod to his favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox. The visit lasted approximately 15 minutes, during which Muslim dignitaries guided him beneath the cascading domes and six minarets that define the Istanbul skyline.

"He wanted to see the mosque, he wanted to feel the atmosphere of the mosque and he was very pleased," Askin Tunca, the mosque's muezzin, told reporters after the tour. The Pope's presence drew a mix of reactions from the public gathered outside behind heavy security barriers.

While some, like Italian tourist Roberta Ribola, praised the visit as a beautiful act of peace, others expressed frustration at the tight security or ideological opposition. Turkish tourist Bekir Sarikaya voiced discontent at being unable to pray at the site due to the papal visit, though his wife countered that just as Muslims visit churches, the Pope has the right to visit mosques.

This visit is a cornerstone of a broader six-day tour covering Türkiye and Lebanon, aimed at setting out Pope Leo’s spiritual and geopolitical vision.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) highlights that after a relatively quiet first six months focused on studying his role, Pope Leo is now stepping into the global limelight.

His papacy has thus far been marked by a desire for unity within the fractured Catholic Church and a willingness to engage on sensitive political issues, including immigration.

The trip also coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a pivotal event in Christian history that defined the tenets of the faith still shared by Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants today.

Unlike his predecessors, Pope Leo notably did not visit the nearby Hagia Sophia.

The ancient basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was converted back into a mosque in 2020, a move that drew international condemnation and saddened the late Pope Francis. By bypassing the site, Leo avoided potential diplomatic friction while maintaining his focus on interfaith dialogue at the Blue Mosque.

Later on Saturday, the pontiff's schedule shifts to intra-Christian relations.

He is set to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, at the Patriarchal Church of St. George.

The New York Times (NYT) reports that this meeting aims to soothe the ancient divide between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, a rift dating back nearly a millennium. The two leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration at the Patriarch’s palace on the Golden Horn, though the content remains undisclosed.

The Pope’s itinerary also includes a mass at the Volkswagen Arena, where some 4,000 worshippers are expected.

On Sunday, following a prayer service at the Armenian cathedral and a divine liturgy at St. George’s, he will depart for Lebanon, continuing a journey that seeks to project a message of peace and unity across a volatile region.