Posted on 12/01/2006 7:10:53 AM PST by jan in Colorado
Pope Benedict ended a sensitive, fence-mending visit to Turkey on Friday amid praise for visiting Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque and praying there facing toward Mecca "like Muslims."
The Pope, who sparked protests across the Muslim world with a speech two months ago seen as criticizing Islam, looked relaxed and pleased as he entered the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit for a mass at the end of the four-day trip.
His first visit to a mostly Muslim country, held under tight security for fear of protests by nationalists and Islamists, was highlighted by a series of conciliatory gestures culminating in a stop on Thursday afternoon in Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque.
Istanbul Grand Mufti Mustafa Cagrici, who prayed with him there, said Benedict had faced Mecca and stood like Muslims do when they pray aright. "These were very nice gestures," he told NTV television.
"The Pope's dreaded visit was concluded with a wonderful surprise," wrote daily Aksam on its front page. "In Sultan Ahmet Mosque, he turned toward Mecca and prayed like Muslims," the popular daily Hurriyet said, using the building's official name.
Just before leaving, Benedict said he hoped his visit was seen as "a sign of friendship between religions" that helps bring countries and cultures closer together.
His gestures, including support for Ankara's bid to join the European Union and praise for Islam as a peaceful faith, seem to have persuaded the Turks to move beyond the tension following his speech quoting a Byzantine emperor as calling Islam violent.
But in Islam's Middle Eastern heartland, Arab commentators still call for Benedict to issue a full apology for his speech. Shocked by the protests it triggered, the Pope has said he did not agree with the controversial quote but has not apologized.
Catholic officials also presented the mosque visit as a key moment of reconciliation.
"I would compare the Pope's visit to the mosque to Pope John Paul's gestures at the Western Wall," said veteran Vatican mediator Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, referring to Pope John Paul II's prayers at Jerusalem's Western Wall in 2000.
"Yesterday, Benedict did with the Muslims what John Paul did with the Jews."
TRIP BRINGS OUT THE DIPLOMAT
Benedict told Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler at the city's airport before leaving for Rome that his visit to the Blue Mosque and the nearby Aya Sofya museum, once a Christian church and then a mosque, had "left a lasting impression" on him.
"A part of my heart stays here in Istanbul," he said, describing the city as "profoundly European" and a bridge between Europe and Asia. "I hope (my visit) "has the effect of bringing structures and civilizations progressively closer."
The trip brought out the diplomat in the theologian who was expected to take a tougher stand on Islam than his more outgoing predecessor John Paul.
Benedict did press during the trip for more freedom of religion in Turkey and by extension in other mostly Muslim countries, but not in the confrontational way some Church officials expected after he was elected Pope in April 2005.
About 30,000 of Turkey's 100,000 Christians are Roman Catholic, mostly living in Istanbul and Izmir.
There were only scattered protests against the visit
So on a spherical planet, if one is "facing" in one direction, one is also anti facing in the other.
And they still haven't figured out why worshiping the moon is so hysterical!!
Catholic can pray any direction they want.. facing Mecca or any other direction is irrellevant.... God does not care... Mohommed, a sicophant who butchered his way across the globe did, but God does not.
churches used to be designed so that the congregation was looking east, keeping watch for the return of Jesus.
Although praying facing east has been a tradition for the whole of Christendom dating back to the formation of Christianity, not all church pews face east. There are may round catholic churches where the altar (and the tabernacle) are in the center of the church. The priest (in many churches) faces east during the Eucharistic Prayer. This doctrine (“ad orientem”) was well discussed by the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
His conclusion was "Where a direct common turning towards the east is not possible, the cross can serve as the interior “east” of faith. It should stand in the middle of the altar and be the common point of focus for both priest and praying community".
Just thought I'd help out.
"Facing" any side, for its supposed "sacredness" is superstitious nonsense. Only a "flat-earther" can believe he is facing any particular city or place, when he turns towards its general direction. The earth's curvature, alas, makes him face space! If someone wanted to face any city in a "holy direction", he's better off looking at an inclined angle towards the ground.
Catholic Churches are traditionally "oriented" (oriented="east") with the altar facing EAST toward the rising sun, which is symbolic of Our Lord's resurrection (which is also why we celebrate Mass on Sunday).
Those idiot muslims. From Istanbul, they'd be looking just east of south. And as others have pointed out, Isreal is directly in that line. The moozies need a lesson in Geography 101. BTW, islam is not a religion as we know it. It is more a radical cult in the same mold as the Nazi party was. I refuse to use uppercase letters for any reference to islam, muslims, koran or quran, or whatever their manual for murder is called. It would give respect to those that have not earned any.
No harm facing Mecca to pray. The difference is that the Pope is talking to a merciful God of love, forgiveness and reconciliation, not someone who rewards people for murder.
P.S. That doesn't mean that the tradition has been seen or heard from much during the 20th and 21st centuries. Most new churches are built whatever way is convenient.
I think the Pope doing this is a big mistake. The muzzies will see this as Christianity bowing down to them, since muzzies consider the Pope the leader of Christianity (although he is the leader of the Catholic Church), much like Christians see the grand poobah ayatollah as the leader of the muzzie maniacs. Or did I miss the big news story about the grand poobah ayatollah praying in the Vatican?
Most Catholics who know about this will not defend it. Pope JPII was the most liberal, politically correct Pope in the Church's history, and kissing the koran as a gusture of goodwill to muslims was an unbelievably assinine thing to do. That said, Pope Benedict is not Pope JPII, he is far more traditional and conservative. Pope JP II was the Bill Clinton of the Catholic Church; Pope Benedict XVI, praise God, is more like the George Washington of the Catholic Church. In any case, one must look at the entire history of the Church to gain a proper perspective of how she has traditionally thought of islam. Just read my tagline.
So I guess that rules out looking up to the sky in prayer, too?
No, that would make more "sense".
That's a little over the top. I don't think it was a good decision to kiss the Koran, but comparing him to Bill Clinton is the mother of all asinine statements.
Because God is in the sky somewhere? Is He on the radar at O'Hare?
You obviously didn't see the quotes. Or interpret the intended meaning thereof. Any more questions, Freepmail me.
Mecca and Jerusalem are EAST of Istanbul (Constantinople). That IS the attitude traditionally of the Mass as you point out (ad orientem).
This post was made on the CWNews site and it touched me:
"Posted by: A.D. - Nov. 30, 2006 3:07 PM ET USA
I watched this live on EWTN. Although the Holy Father and the cleric started to pray at the same time, the Pope continued longer that the cleric; with his eyes closed. Also, he seemed to be holding his hands to be touching his cross pendant at his chest. I was touched that the muslims seemed to be so glad and proud that the Holy Father was there. They were very attentive and presented him with gifts."
This is SO much ado about nothing!
Maybe that's why people bow their heads when they pray ;-)
"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you
in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:44-45
The Pope was doing exactly what Jesus commanded, (which is the hardest of all commands) (IMHO)...to pray for those that hate us!
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