Ankara:
Meeting, President Religious
Affairs Directorate
On 28 November 2006, the Holy
Father met with the President of Religious Affairs in Ankara. After
greeting all Muslims of Turkey, the Pope recalled how dear their land
was to Christians, where many of the first Christian communities were
founded and flourished.
Ankara: Meeting, Diplomatic Corps
On 28 November 2006, the Holy
Father addressed the ambassadors to the Republic of Turkey, urging
dialogue between religions and between cultures to overcome tensions
through mutual respect. He described Turkey as "a bridge between East
and West, between Asia and Europe, and as a crossroads of cultures and
religions."
Ephesus:
Mass, Meryem Ana
Evė
On 29 November 2006, the Holy Father celebrated Mass at a historic
shrine in Ephesus, where, in the fifth century, Mary's divine motherhood
was defined by Ecumenical Council. The Pope's homily drew on St. Paul's
Epistle to the Ephesians and St. John's record of Our Lord's extension
of Mary's motherhood to include the Church.
Istanbul:
Prayer Service, St George Church
In his meeting with Bartholomew I, 29 November 2006, the Holy Father
recalled the earlier steps of Paul VI and Athenagoras toward mending the
Schism of 1054. And he expressed the hope that their present meeting
would bring further progress on the path to reconciliation and "peace of
the Churches."
Istanbul:
Divine Liturgy, St George Church
Following the Divine Liturgy, 30 November 2006, celebrated by the
Ecumenical Patriarch, the Holy Father described his presence there as
meant to "renew [their] commitment" to reach "full communion between
the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople."
Istanbul: The Phanar, Common
Declaration
On 30 November 2006, the Holy Father and the Ecumenical Patriarch
jointly signed a Declaration, in which they renewed their "commitment to
move towards full communion," while expressing concern about the
increase of secularism in the West, and "taking to heart" the cause of
peace in the Middle East.
Visit to
the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate and Meeting with His Beatitude
Patriarch Mesrob II
The Holy Father, 30 November 2006, visited the Armenian Apostolic
Cathedral. During the celebration of the Word, the Pope said that his
meeting with the Armenian Patriarch was more than an ecumenical gesture,
but a sign of their shared hope of hastening the rebuilding of Christian
unity.
Homily:
the Eucharistic Celebration at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in
Istanbul
The Holy Father presided over a Eucharistic
celebration, 1 December 2006, in the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy
Spirit, in the company of the country's Catholic bishops. The Pope
encouraged Christians to proclaim the Gospel "to the ends of the earth
... transmitting to the men and women of our time the Good News which
not only illuminates but overturns their lives, even to the point of
conquering death itself."
Concluding
Remarks after the Eucharistic Concelebration
The Holy Father expressed his gratitude for the cordial welcome given
him in Turkey.
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