Pope Francis is set to
fly out for a three-day visit to Turkey on Friday in the hope
that the trip can further the causes of peace and dialogue
between religions.
The Argentine pontiff called on the faithful to pray for
his visit to the majority-Muslim nation during his general
audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday.
He said the aim was to promote "the fruits of peace" and
"sincere dialogue between religions and harmony in the Turkish
nation".
The Vatican has repeatedly said there are no specific
concerns about Francis' security during the trip, after
speculation that the leader of the Catholic Church could be a
target for Islamist terrorists, amid conflict and tension in the
Middle East.
On Thursday, however, Turkish officials denied reports
that the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics would not
use an armoured car.
Furthermore, security is expected to be iron tight in
Ankara when Francis arrives on Friday, with around 1,000 police
officers expected to be deployed along the roads that will be
used by the pope during his time in the Turkish capital.
Overall, up to 2,700 police will be on duty in Ankara,
while dozens of riot control vehicles will be deployed to
several parts of the city.
The pope is scheduled to fly from Rome's Fiumicino airport
on Friday at 9:00 and land in Ankara at 13:00 local time.
One of his first engagements will be at the mausoleum of
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish republic.
The visit will be followed by a welcoming ceremony at the
presidential palace with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Francis will also meet Premier Ahmet Davutoglu and Mehmet
Görmez, the country's most senior cleric, in Ankara.
On Saturday the pope will fly from Ankara to Istanbul
where he is expected to land one hour after takeoff, at 10:30
local time.
There he will visit the city's famous 17th-century
Blue Mosque, whose proper name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and
the Hagia Sophia.
The presence of the pope, who has repeatedly sought to
unite with Muslim leaders and representatives of other faiths in
calls for peace in the Middle East, at both sites will be of
great symbolic importance.
The Blue Mosque is one of the world's most famous mosques
and Francis' predecessor Benedict XVI also paid a visit in
2006.
Now a museum, the Hagia Sophia served as an Eastern
Orthodox cathedral and was the seat of the Patriarchate of
Constantinople from 537 until 1453 before being used as a mosque
for hundreds of years.
After visiting the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, he
will celebrate Mass in the Catholic cathedral of the Holy
Spirit.
This will be followed by prayer service at the Patriarchal
Basilica of St. George, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
of Constantinople.
Francis will then have a private meeting with Orthodox
Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is considered the spiritual leader
of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians.
On Sunday, November 30, after a private Mass with the
apostolic delegation, Francis will participate in a divine
liturgy followed by an ecumenical blessing and the signing of a
joint interfaith declaration.
Then a lunch has been organized with Bartholomew I at the
ecumenical Patriarchate in Fanar.
The pontiff's departure from Istanbul's Ataturk airport is
scheduled at 17:00 and he is scheduled to arrive in Rome at
18:40.
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