Pope Leo XIV Visits Istanbul's Blue Mosque Without Praying

Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque on Saturday, marking his first visit to a Muslim place of worship since his election. Accompanied by local Muslim leaders, he removed his shoes in accordance with Islamic custom and toured the 17th-century mosque, renowned for its turquoise ceramic tiles.

During the visit, the mosque's muezzin, Asgin Musa Tunca, invited the pope to pray. Tunca recounted, "I offered [to] him, if he would like to worship here, but he said 'no, I am just going to look around.'"

The Vatican initially issued a statement indicating that Pope Leo had observed a brief moment of prayer during the visit. However, this was later corrected, with the Vatican press office clarifying that the pope visited the mosque "in a spirit of reflection and attentive listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer."

This visit follows the precedent set by previous popes. In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Blue Mosque and observed a moment of silent meditation, which some interpreted as the first time a pope had prayed in a Muslim place of worship. Similarly, in 2014, Pope Francis spent two minutes in silent prayer during his visit.

Pope Leo's itinerary did not include a visit to the nearby Hagia Sophia, a historic Christian cathedral that was converted back into a mosque in 2020, a move that drew international criticism.

Following the mosque visit, Pope Leo met with Christian leaders at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem and joined Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew for prayer and a joint statement at Saint George Church. The pope emphasized the importance of unity ahead of the 2033 Holy Year.

Pope Leo also participated in an ecumenical gathering in Iznik, Turkey, alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and other Christian leaders, marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The leaders prayed together for Christian unity, emphasizing overcoming historical divisions.