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(NewsNation) — Pope Leo completed a historic trip to Turkey, the first foreign trip of his pontificate. According to the Vatican, the focus of the trip was on promoting Christian unity and interfaith dialogue.
The primary reason for the trip was to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea (AD 325). Pope Leo XIV joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and other Christian leaders, at the archaeological site on the shores of Lake Iznik (ancient Nicaea) to pray for unity and recite the Nicene Creed.
But during his visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Pope Leo appeared to decline to participate in prayer. The American pontiff removed his shoes and toured the mosque, considered Allah’s house, but, according to reports, politely refused the imam’s request to pray.
The Vatican initially released a statement incorrectly suggesting the pope would observe a “brief moment of silent prayer,” but later corrected the information.
Pope Leo appeared to break from his predecessors by not visibly praying at the iconic mosque. Both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis prayed in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2006 and prayed silently while facing the direction of Mecca. Pope Francis visited in 2014 and also observed a moment of silent prayer, facing Mecca with his head bowed and hands clasped.