Turkey trip 'defines Benedict papacy'
The 79-year-old Pope scored a considerable diplomatic success.
Popes usually go down in history more for what they do than for what they say.
The reign of the 16th-Century Pope Sixtus V is still remembered for his architectural transformations of the city of Rome.
Pope John XXIII is remembered for having called the Second Vatican Council. And Pope John Paul II is remembered as the most travelled Pope in history.
In Istanbul, we have, I believe, witnessed some defining moments of the papacy of Benedict XVI.
He reached out to Muslims by praying facing towards Mecca in a famous mosque.
And he reached out to Orthodox Christians, seeking to heal a rift that has lasted more than 1,000 years by holding joint services and giving a joint blessing to their faithful by the side of Patriarch Bartholomew, their spiritual leader, on the holiest day in their church calendar.
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Popes usually go down in history more for what they do than for what they say.
The reign of the 16th-Century Pope Sixtus V is still remembered for his architectural transformations of the city of Rome.
Pope John XXIII is remembered for having called the Second Vatican Council. And Pope John Paul II is remembered as the most travelled Pope in history.
In Istanbul, we have, I believe, witnessed some defining moments of the papacy of Benedict XVI.
He reached out to Muslims by praying facing towards Mecca in a famous mosque.
And he reached out to Orthodox Christians, seeking to heal a rift that has lasted more than 1,000 years by holding joint services and giving a joint blessing to their faithful by the side of Patriarch Bartholomew, their spiritual leader, on the holiest day in their church calendar.