Pope Francis Prays at Blue Mosque in Istanbul

As a gesture of inter-faith peace, Pope Francis prayed in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, GMA News Online report said. The Pope prayed silently along with a senior Islamic cleric.

Report said this is the Pope’s gesture of religious harmony in a country bordering the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

The Pope took off his shoes as he entered the mosque, bowed his head in prayer for several minutes.

As he was praying, the Pope faced Mecca and stand next to Istanbul’s Grand Mufti Rahmi Yaran. Vatican spokesman described it as a joint “moment of silent adoration” of God. Report said a similar act by his predecessor Pope Benedict in 2006 drew criticism from conservative Catholics and some Muslims.

Several hundred people, many of them tourists, watched from behind police barriers as the pope then walked to the nearby Aya Sofya museum, once the Christian church Hagia Sophia, report said.

Vatican flags chanted “Long live Pope Francis” in Italian as the Muslim call to prayer rang out across the Sultanahmet square, the heart of Istanbul’s historic quarter.

A hospital worker from Istanbul was quoted saying “We must show respect for each others beliefs. God willing the pope’s visit will help in this respect.” “We want to practice our religion in peace. We want people to understand Islam. We don’t want war.”

Last Friday, the Pope said that fighting hunger and poverty, rather than military intervention alone, was key to stopping the Islamist militants.

Islamic State insurgents, capturing areas of neighboring Syria and Iraq, persecutes and kills Shi’ite Muslims, Christians and those others who do not share their ‘ultra-radical’ brand of Sunni Islam.

The Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultanahmet mosque, opened in 1616 and is the most famous in Turkey. Its name is a reference to the fine blue Iznik tiles in its main prayer room.

Source: GMA News Online

Image Credit: www.theguardian.com