Pope In Turkey

Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting Turkey next week, Nov 28 - Dec 1. This is more than just a courtesy call and is important on a number of levels. We have the spiritual leader of 2/3 of the world's Christians visiting a nation that is 99% Muslim at a time when tensions could hardly be higher. It also comes two months after B16's Regensburg speech that incited Muslim protest and violence, including the killing of a nun in Somalia.

I think the Pope knew exactly what he was saying at Regensburg and what the reaction would be. He knows the demographic wave that is coming, and that there is no time to waste if Europe is to avoid becoming the next Muslim conquest. The pope recognizes that military force will not end this war. Therefore he is deploying an even more powerful weapon: ideas. He wants to bring Islam to a dialogue and, eventually, reach some kind of peaceful coexistence.

Meanwhile there are couple of sub-plots. As a Cardinal, B16 loudly opposed the admission of Turkey into the EU and the Turks have't forgotten. The Turkish government has been noticeably chilly about everything surrounding this visit. Another angle is the Pope's meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox church - Rome would love nothing more than to bring the Eastern churches back into full communion. Most of the theological differences have been worked out, except for the sticky issue of papal authority. This meeting is, in fact, the real reason for the trip - Patriarch Bartholomew invited B16 to visit long before the Regensburg flap brought new significance to the trip.

Time magazine, which I usually cannot stand, has a decent story about B16 and Turkey that reviews most of the issues at least superficially. Here it is. Also, Chris Blosser of Against The Grain has a terrific roundup of press coverage about the trip. Click here.

Protests and death threats are already beginning in Turkey. I feel sure the greatest precautions have been taken and security will be tight. Keep in mind, though, that the last Pope was shot right in St. Peter's Square - by a Turk, incidentally. So we must deploy the full armor of God for Benedict's protection on this trip. The Knights of Columbus are asking all Christians to say the following prayer daily until the Pope returns safely:

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.

We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

... and Amen again. The Fatima title is a nice touch, since the town where the famous apparition took place is named after Mohammed's daughter. A small point - but maybe a start.