VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 212
DATE 29-11-2014

Summary:
- Francis at the Diyanet: violence seeking religious justification warrants
the strongest condemnation
- Pope Francis visits the Museum of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
- Cardinal Schonborn, Pope's special envoy in Kiev

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 Francis at the Diyanet: violence seeking religious justification warrants the
strongest condemnation
 Vatican City, 28 November 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, following his
address before the Turkish authorities in the Presidential Palace, the Holy
Father met with the prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, after which he proceeded
to the Diyanet, the Department for Religious Affairs and highest Sunni Islamic
authority in Turkey. Although a secular state, 98% of the Turkish population
is Muslim, of whom 68% are Sunni and 30% Shia. The president of the Diyanet,
Mehmet Gormez, welcomed the Pope upon arrival and accompanied him to his
office where they spoke privately for a minute. They then entered the Hall
together, where Francis addressed the gathered Muslim and Christian political
and religious leaders.
 "It is a tradition that Popes, when they visit different countries as part of
their mission, meet also with the leaders and members of various religions.
Without this openness to encounter and dialogue, a papal visit would not fully
correspond to its purposes. And so I wished to meet you, following in the
footsteps of my venerable predecessors. In this context, I am pleased to
recall in a special way Pope Benedict XVI's visit to this very same place in
November 2006. Good relations and dialogue between religious leaders have, in
fact, acquired great importance. They represent a clear message addressed to
their respective communities which demonstrates that mutual respect and
friendship are possible, notwithstanding differences. Such friendship, as well
as being valuable in itself, becomes all the more meaningful and important in
a time of crisis such as our own: crises which in some parts of the world are
disastrous for entire peoples".
 He continued, "Wars cause the death of innocent victims and bring untold
destruction, inter-ethnic and interreligious tensions and conflicts, hunger
and poverty afflicting hundreds of millions of people, and inflict damage on
the natural environment - air, water and land. Especially tragic is the
situation in the Middle East, above all in Iraq and Syria. Everyone suffers
the consequences of these conflicts, and the humanitarian situation is
unbearable. I think of so many children, the sufferings of so many mothers, of
the elderly, of those displaced and of all refugees, subject to every form of
violence. Particular concern arises from the fact that, owing mainly to an
extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities, especially - though
not exclusively - Christians and Yazidis, have suffered and continue to suffer
barbaric violence simply because of their ethnic and religious identity. They
have been forcibly evicted from their homes, and have had to leave behind
everything to save their lives and preserve their faith. This violence has
also brought damage to sacred buildings, monuments, religious symbols and
cultural patrimony, as if trying to erase every trace, every memory of the
other.
 "As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against
human dignity and human rights. Human life, a gift of God the Creator,
possesses a sacred character. As such, any violence which seeks religious
justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the Omnipotent is
the God of life and peace. The world expects those who claim to adore God to
be men and women of peace who are capable of living as brothers and sisters,
regardless of ethnic, religious, cultural or ideological differences".
 However, as well as denouncing such situations, he added, "we must also work
together to find adequate solutions. This requires the cooperation of all:
governments, political and religious leaders, representatives of civil
society, and all men and women of goodwill. In a unique way, religious leaders
can offer a vital contribution by expressing the values of their respective
traditions. We, Muslims and Christians, are the bearers of spiritual treasures
of inestimable worth. Among these we recognise some shared elements, though
lived according to the traditions of each, such as the adoration of the
All-Merciful God, reference to the Patriarch Abraham, prayer, almsgiving, and
fasting - elements which, when lived sincerely, can transform life and provide
a sure foundation for dignity and fraternity. Recognising and developing our
common spiritual heritage - through interreligious dialogue - helps us to
promote and to uphold moral values, peace and freedom in society. The shared
recognition of the sanctity of each human life is the basis of joint
initiatives of solidarity, compassion, and effective help directed to those
who suffer most. In this regard, I wish to express my appreciation for
everything that the Turkish people, Muslims and Christians alike, are doing to
help the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing their countries due
to conflicts. There are two million of them. This is a clear example of how we
can work together to serve others, an example to be encouraged and maintained".
 In this regard, the Holy Father expressed his satisfaction at the good
relations between the Diyanet and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue. "It is my earnest desire that these relations will continue and be
strengthened for the good of all, so that every initiative which promotes
authentic dialogue will offer a sign of hope to a world so greatly in need of
peace, security and prosperity. Following my meeting with the president, I am
also hopeful that this interreligious dialogue will take on creative new
forms".
 He concluded by thanking again the president of the Diyanet and his
collaborators for this meeting, and expressed his gratitude to all present for
their presence and their prayers for him and his ministry. "For my part, I
assure you of my prayers. May the Lord grant us all his blessing".
 Following the encounter, the Pope transferred to the apostolic nunciature,
where he spent the night.

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 Pope Francis visits the Museum of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
 Vatican City, 29 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning, Pope Francis travelled
by air from Ankara to Istanbul. The only city in the world divided across two
continents, Asia and Europe, it is situated on the banks of the Bosphorus, the
river that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. Upon arrival he was
welcomed by the Governor of Istanbul and by the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomaios I, and then transferred by car to the Blue Mosque, or the Mosque
of the Sultan Ahmed.
 Built between 1609 and 1917 by Ahmed I on what had been the site of the great
palace of Constantinople, the mosque became the most important place of
worship of the Ottoman Empire. The name "Blue Mosque" derives from the 21,043
turquoise ceramic tiles adorning the walls and the dome. The ceramics used to
cover the walls, columns and arches originated from Iznik in ancient Nicaea,
and range in colour from deep blue to green. Benedict XVI visited the mosque
during his trip to Turkey in 2006. Pope Francis was received by the Grand
Mufti and remained a moment in silent prayer.
 The Holy Father then proceeded to the Museum of Hagia Sophia, the basilica
dedicated to Divine Wisdom, first built in the year 360 by the emperor
Constantine on a site previously occupied by pagan temples. It was later
destroyed by two fires, one in 404 and another in 532, and the emperor
Justinian undertook its reconstruction in order to make it into "the most
sumptuous work since the time of Creation", ordering all the provinces of the
empire to provide their best marble and most prized materials. Hagia Sophia
was inaugurated for the third time in 537. During the conquest of
Constantinople in 1204, it was despoiled of its richest adornments by Latin
Christians and in 1453, when it fell into the hands of the Ottomans, Mehmet II
ordered it to be transformed into the first imperial mosque of Istanbul.
During the subsequent three centuries, this Muslim place of worship received
splendid gifts from various sultans, until the eighteenth century, when the
mosaics were covered with plaster. In 1847 the Sultan Abdulmegid engaged the
Swiss architects Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati to uncover the mosaics and
restore the building. In 1935, at the behest of Ataturk, Hagia Sophia became a
museum, which it remains to this day. Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict
XVI all visited it during their trips to Turkey.
 Pope Francis was received at the Imperial Door by the director of the Museum,
who accompanied him on a guided tour lasting around half an hour. The Holy
Father signed the guest book of Hagia Sophia, first in Greek with the phrase
???a ????a s?t Te?? (Holy Wisdom of God) and then in Latin: "Quam dilecta
tabernacula tua Domine (Psalm 38).
 After leaving Hagia Sophia through the Beautiful Gate, Francis proceeded to
the papal representation where he was awaited by members of the Catholic
communities (Latin, Armenian, Syrian and Chaldean) of Istanbul, and where he
was greeted by the president of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey, Archbishop
Ruggero Franceschini, O.F.M. Cap.

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 Cardinal Schonborn, Pope's special envoy in Kiev
 Vatican City, 29 November 2014 (VIS) - In a letter published today, written
in Latin and dated 18 November, the Holy Father nominated Cardinal Christoph
Schonborn, archbishop of Vienna, as his special envoy at the celebration of
the 25th anniversary of the liberation of the Greek-Catholic Church in
Ukraine, scheduled to take place in Kiev on 10 December 2014.
 The mission accompanying the cardinal will be composed of Rev. Yurij Kolasa,
vicar for Greek-Catholics in Austria, and Rev. Ihor Sfiaban, head of the
Ecumenical Commission of the Curia of the Major Archbishop.

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