Pope hailed for praying toward Mecca like Muslims

Reuters ^ | December 1, 2006 | Philip Pullella and Tom Heneghan

[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

[TheCrusader]

"I think the Pope doing this is a big mistake. The muzzies will see this as Christianity bowing down to them---"

The Pope was facing Jerusalem, which lies between where he was standing and Mecca. The 'grand mufti' who made the misleading claim the Benedict XVI was facing Mecca was trying to make the Pope look bad to Christians and weak to muslims. But a lie is a lie is lie, and the islamofacists will one day see the Light that will uncover all their lies, and that "Light" isn't 'allah', it is our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Pope was praying to smack in the middle of islam's darkest dungeon. God bless Pope Benedict XVI.

[trisham]

He wasn't "praying to Mecca." When he visited the mosque, the person giving him the tour told him that that was how Muslims pray, and turned around and faced Mecca (which is also the East, the sacred direction of Western Christianity). The Pope folded his hands and stood silently next to him, looking towards the East. We can all imagine what he was praying...

*************

The MSM can't print the truth to save its soul.

[CarrotAndStick]

:^)

[Alas Babylon!]

That's not what the poster said. He/she says CATHOLICS pray facing East. As a catholic, I never heard this, and certainly don't think it's dogma. I'm also a cathecist, and certainly don't teach this (that Catholics (must?) face East to pray). While churches may traditionally be built so the altar faces East, as you say, it isn't required. My church, built in 1955, has the altar to the North.

I guess I'm sort of reactive to statements on Free Republic that state Catholics do (like, worship Mary, Saints, etc) or Catholics don't (like read the Bible) and other such religious war nonsense.

If not so, I apologize to you, Mockingbyrd!

[RobRoy]

I don't know exactly how to read this. It doesn't matter what direction a Christian is pointing his head when he is praying so he could point it in that direction without a problem.

However, there is a bigger "spirit of the law" issue here. Paul said although he could eat meat, if it caused a brother to stumble, he wouldn't.

I wonder if his "apparent" support of the Muslim relationship to Allah would cause any brothers to stumble.

[Alas Babylon!]

Just read my tagline.

71 posted on 12/01/2006 10:13:56 AM CST by TheCrusader
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

Can't! You don't have one, LOL!!!

[quack]

churches used to be designed so that the congregation was looking east, keeping watch for the return of Jesus.

//and in the US,the dead are buried facing east as well.Old tradition,from the Bible,that the dead shall rise when Jesus returns from the east.

[Mom MD]

My thoughts exactly when I heard this this morning.

[Tzimisce]

Screw that I'm not a Muslim. Just because the Pope gave up and rolled over doesn't mean that I'm going too...

[Mom MD]

Heard this on Paul Harvey as well this AM. Don't know what his source was, however, could have been Reuters

[Right Wing Assault]

In our more "modern" era, the newer Churches don't always face east anymore, which is unfortunate.

I don't know when the modern era began, but I can think of at least two Catholic churches (former parishes of mine) that are 75 years old or more that were built facing N or S. And a bunch more that are over 50. Even the basilica at Notre Dame in South Bend faces north and it was built in the 1870s by Europeans.

[Last Laugh]

The muzzies will see this as Christianity bowing down to them, since muzzies consider the Pope the leader of Christianity. . .

IMHO, it would be far worse if Christians saw it that way. Christians should be able to discern the truth of the Popes actions.

[Sacajaweau]

Christian cemeteries are laid out with the head facing east to greet the morning sun. (I know...not always)

[Tokra]

"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. "

Here's another "nice gesture" for you Grand Mufti:

[TheCrusader]

"The controversy in our own century was triggered by another innovation. Because of topographical circumstances, it turned out that St. Peter’s faced west. Thus, if the celebrating priest wanted – as the Christian tradition of prayer demands – to face east, he had to stand behind the people and look – this is the logical conclusion – towards the people. For whatever reason it was done, one can also see this arrangement in a whole series of church buildings within St. Peter’s direct sphere of influence. The liturgical renewal in our own century took up this alleged model and developed from it a new idea for the form of the liturgy."

This is the problem we face today, the new-age Church makes declarations like this when the ancient, historical, traditional Church clearly states differently. The facing East during the Holy Mass by the priest and congregation dates back to the days of the Apostles themselves:

"Naturally the altar and priest were separated from the faithful, who, as St. Athanasius (Quaest. ad Antioch., 37) and Clement of Alexandria (Strom., vii, 7) inform us, were instructed by the Apostles to pray, according to the traditions of the Mosaic Law, facing the East. Hence in the early days of the Church the altar was usually placed in a chapel at the head of the edifice, the back of which, whatever may have been the character of the building, looked directly towards the East, in such a way that it could be seen from any part by the faithful. When it was impossible to erect a church in such a manner the altar was located opposite the chief doorway---" (from the 1917 Catholic Encylcopedia, subject "High Altar".

In any case, now matter what the modernists say about what direction the priest and congregation should pray towards during Mass, the ancient, traditional Catholic Church of our ancestors is the one I follow.

[Mom MD]

I was unaware Christians prayed to anyone but Christ.
There is no proscription in Christianity to pray toward a certain direction, and to do so is idolatry in my book

[Tokra]

Catholics, when praying in Church, also face east. This is much ado about nothing.

Where on earth did you get that bizarre notion? The Catholic Church I grew up in had the altar at the west end of the building - we faced west when we prayed.

The next church I attended had the altar at the north end of the building, so we faced north when we prayed there.

The Catholic Church has no "preferred direction" to pray in. You can pray standing on your head if you want to.

[Question_Assumptions]

If anything, he should have prayed toward Jerusalem, like Mulsims originally did, too.