Apostolic Administrator of Armenian Catholics in Jordan and Jerusalem Speaks on Francis' Recent Visit to Turkey.
Pope Francis’ visit to Turkey can be read from several points of view. Truly a “Pontifex,” the Holy Father is certainly seeking to build bridges with the moderate Muslim world. This was seen in the various gestures of fraternity and willingness to dialogue.
Four of the countries that the Pope has visited since his election are Muslim: Jordan, Palestine, Albania and Turkey. On his return trip, the Bishop of Rome mentioned to journalists the explicit hope he expressed to Recep Tayyip Erdogan: “It would be good if all Muslim leaders, political, religious and academic leaders, condemned terrorism clearly and say that that is not Islam.”
The Holy Father’s strategy is to contain the clash of civilizations and religions, inviting those who believe in the good and in coexistence to state their alignment.
An element that could be expected from the visit was, undoubtedly, that of asking …More