Fighting in Syria’s northern metropolis between the army and YPG forces has entered its third day. The suburbs of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood have been declared "closed military areas”. The authorities imposed a curfew, with one resident calling the situation "terrible and awful”. Turkey offered support to al-Sharaa.
For Bishop Palinuro, the presence of Leo XIV has restored "enthusiasm" to a Catholic community that had fallen into a certain torpor. The encounter with Orthodox leaders represented a return "to the origins of our faith," even if challenges remain. The pontiff's simple gestures have lifted “biases" among Muslims. The Vatican and Turkey are equally committed to peace in the Middle East through diplomacy.
The Pope with Bartholomew I in the Divine Liturgy for St Andrew, patron saint of the Church of Constantinople. The Patriarch expresses ‘fervent gratitude’ for the papal visit. Prevost: caring together for ‘all humanity and the whole of creation’. This morning at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral: “Full dedication to the cause of unity”. The apostolic journey continues today in Lebanon.
The joint text signed by the Pope and the Patriarch: ‘Although alarmed by the international situation, our faith in Jesus the Saviour tells us that God will not abandon humanity.’ The faithful are invited to rejoice in the progress made in dialogue. Condemnation of those who use the name of God to justify violence, the hope for a common date for Easter. In the morning, a silent visit to the Blue Mosque.
The pope and Bartholomew I met in İznik to celebrate the Council of AD 325, with representatives of the world's Churches. At the site of the Basilica of Saint Neophytos, the "confession of faith" is the foundation of "full communion." The thirst for reconciliation comes from “the whole of humanity afflicted by violence and conflict." This morning in Istanbul, Leo told Christians in Turkey that the “logic of littleness is the Church’s true strength.”
The pontiff began his first apostolic journey in Turkey highlighting the image of the Dardanelles Bridge as a symbol of unity between Asia and Europe, but also the country’s “plurality”. He called for the "culture of encounter" advocated by Pope Francis, but also by Pope John XXIII who served as apostolic delegate in Istanbul 90 years ago. Leo also called for love to have a "public" dimension while rejecting the mindset that “might is right”.
