Pope Visits Turkey Amid Christian-muslim Tensions

By NICOLE WINFIELD and SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press, San Antonio Express-News: World
Thu, 11/27/2014 - 4:59am

Pope Francis travels to Turkey this weekend amid new Muslim-Christian tensions and war next door, with Islamic State militants seizing chunks of Iraq and Syria and sending 1.6 million refugees across the border into Turkey. Francis is expected to tread lightly during his three-day visit, sensitive to the delicate diplomatic tensions at play between Turkey and the international coalition fighting the Islamic State. When Pope Paul VI made the first-ever papal visit to Turkey in 1967, he fell to his knees in prayer inside Haghia Sophia, the 1,500-year-old site in Istanbul that was originally a Byzantine church and was turned into a mosque after the Muslim conquest of Istanbul — then known as Constantinople — in 1453. [...] he took off his shoes, bowed his head and closed his eyes for nearly a minute in prayer alongside an Islamic cleric in a dramatic gesture of outreach to Muslims. The mosque visit was added late to Benedict's schedule in a bid to soothe Muslim anger over his now-infamous speech in Regensburg, Germany linking violence to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. In September, the head of the government-run Religious Affairs Directorate and Turkey's top cleric called on Francis to take action to stem attacks on mosques in Europe, saying that as many as 70 Muslim places of worship were attacked in Germany this year, compared to 36 last year. Turkey, however, denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest. The two major branches of Christianity represented by Bartholomew and Francis split in 1054 over differences in opinion on the power of the papacy, and the two spiritual heads will participate in an ecumenical liturgy and sign a joint declaration in the ongoing attempt to bridge the divide and reunite the churches.

NEXT

 

NEXT
Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

Movies With Butter More Movie News

More World News

  • Cluster of Earthquakes Rocks Taiwan Just Weeks After Biggest One in 25 Years
    Time, Monday - 04/22/2024 - 11:20 PM

    TAIPEI — A cluster of earthquakes struck Taiwan early on Tuesday, the strongest measuring 6.1 magnitude, according to the U. S. Geological Survey. There was no immediate information of any damage or casualties. The temblors struck after a magnitude 7.4 quake hit the island earlier this month, killing 13 people and injuring over 1,000.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Indian Prime Minister Modi Accused of ‘Hate Speech’ Towards Muslims in Campaign Rally
    Time, Monday - 04/22/2024 - 01:16 PM

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under fire for invoking anti-Muslim tropes in a speech on Sunday as he campaigns in the nation’s ongoing general election. Speaking to a large crowd at a rally in the western state of Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made controversial remarks describing Muslims as “infiltrators.” Modi said that if the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, is voted into power at the end of the weeks’ long election, they would unfairly distribute wealth.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • To Build an Alliance Against Iran, Israel Cannot Ignore the Palestinians
    Time, Monday - 04/22/2024 - 11:39 AM

    As the dust settles in the wake of Israel’s much-anticipated attack on Iran on Friday, the two countries seem to have pulled back from the brink of full-scale war. This strike on an Iranian military base near Isfahan—a response to Iran’s unprecedented April 13 missile and drone attack on Israel—caused minimal damage and was met with muted reactions from Iranian officials. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The limited scale of Israel’s retaliation reflects several considerations, including a genuine desire to prevent a regional war, U.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Massive Floods Force Tens of Thousands to Evacuate in China’s Guangdong Region
    Time, Monday - 04/22/2024 - 07:59 AM

    Nearly 60,000 residents in China’s Guangdong province have been evacuated from their homes after extreme weather caused floods to sweep through a number of cities in the low-lying Pearl River Delta. On Monday, rescuers used boats to reach trapped residents, including the elderly, in China’s most populous province, a manufacturing hub home to 127 million people.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • 4 Germans Caught Marking Hitler’s Birthday Outside Nazi Dictator’s Birthplace in Austria
    Time, Monday - 04/22/2024 - 05:55 AM

    BERLIN — Four Germans were caught laying white roses in memory of Adolf Hitler at the house where the Nazi dictator was born in western Austria on the anniversary of his birth, and one gave a Hitler salute as they posed for photos, police said Monday. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Israel’s Military Intelligence Chief Resigns Over Failure to Prevent Oct. 7 Attack
    Time, Monday - 04/22/2024 - 03:56 AM

    TEL AVIV, Israel — The head of Israel’s military intelligence directorate resigned on Monday over the failures surrounding Hamas’ unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, the military said, becoming the first senior figure to step down over his role in the deadliest assault in Israel’s history. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva’s resignation sets the stage for what’s expected to be more fallout from Israel’s top security brass over Hamas’ attack, when militants blasted through Israel’s border defenses, rampaged through Israeli communities unchallenged for hours and killed 1,200 people, most civilians, while taking roughly 250 hostages into Gaza.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share