Did Pope Leo Pray in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque? Not Visibly, at Least.

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Motoko RichNovember 29, 2025 at 03:52 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Pope Leo XIV visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul on his inaugural international trip to Turkey and Lebanon. The mosque's muezzin, Asgin Musa Tunca, reported that he had invited the pope to pray inside the 17th-century mosque, but Pope Leo demurred, saying "That's OK" when asked if he wanted to join the prayer. However, it is unclear whether the pope prayed silently or not. The Vatican stated that the pope spent his time in silence and contemplation, with profound respect for the faith of those gathered there. Despite this, the initial statement about a brief moment of prayer was later corrected by the Vatican. Pope Leo spent approximately 20 minutes at the mosque, where he was accompanied by Turkish officials and learned about the building's history and features.

Keywords

pope leo xiv 80% blue mosque 70% turkey 60% islam 50% papacy 40% sultan ahmed mosque 40% interfaith dialogue 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral
Score: -0.10

Source Transparency

Source
New York Times - World
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.30)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Sultan Ahmed Mosque

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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