Pope Leo Visits Turkey’s Blue Mosque Without Praying

Istanbul: Pope Leo XIV visited Turkey's iconic Blue Mosque in Istanbul but chose not to pray during his visit, marking a departure from the practice of his predecessors. The visit was part of the first leg of his inaugural trip abroad as the first US pope, with plans to continue on to Lebanon. According to Deutsche Welle, the visit to the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, included Pope Leo removing his shoes in accordance with Islamic customs and touring the 17th-century mosque with its imam, Asgin Tunca. Despite being invited to pray by the imam, Leo opted to simply visit, expressing a desire to experience the mosque's atmosphere. The Vatican had initially indicated that Pope Leo would observe a moment of silent prayer during his visit. However, a press release mistakenly confirmed this prayer, only to be later retracted. The revised statement described the Pope's visit as one of silent contemplation and respect for the sacred site and its congregants. Pope Leo's decision contrasts with that of his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, who both engaged in silent prayer facing east during their visits to the Blue Mosque in 2006 and 2014, respectively. In addition to his visit to the Blue Mosque, Pope Leo's agenda included praying with Patriarch Bartholomew at the patriarchal church of Saint George and leading a Catholic Mass at Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena. His planned journey to Lebanon faced a delay due to a worldwide Airbus software update that disrupted numerous flights across Europe and Asia.