Conventional Wisdom: Pope Visits Turkey and Lebanon Edition

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Pope Leo wrapped up a visit to Turkey and Lebanon where he promoted interfaith dialogue in a region torn by sectarian conflict. The pope was honoring his predecessor Francis’s plans to travel to Iznik, the town in modern-day Turkey that hosted the Council of Nicaea, a gathering of church leaders that formalized the basic tenets of the faith that all Christian denominations subscribe to. This is the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

Prayer ⬇

When the pope declines to pray, he’s saying something. Leo turned down an invitation to pray at Istanbul’s famous Blue Mosque, opting for quiet tour instead. Both Leo’s predecessors prayed at the mosque.

Hagia Sophia ⬇

Leo also skipped a visit to Istanbul’s most famous religious site. Popes Francis and Benedict had visited the Hagia Sophia, a cathedral converted into a Mosque under the Ottomans and then into a museum in secular Turkey. Since those visits, Turkey has converted it back into a mosque and Leo said no thanks.

Turkish Nationalists ⬆

For all the snubs, Turkish nationalists got a win from Leo’s visit. The Pope hailed the courageous Christian witness of Turkey’s Armenian minority, but did not describe the terrible slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War I as a genocide. Pope Francis used the G word and never heard the end of it.

Hezbollah ⬇

The Lebanese militant group urged the Pope to condemn injustice and aggression in a reference to Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. Hezbollah supporters even lined the streets for the Pope’s motorcade. But the pontiff didn’t oblige, although he did call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Basilica of Saint Neophytos ⬆

The ancient church where the Council of Nicaea took place had been submerged for centuries under Lake Iznik. A prolonged drought exposed the ancient structure in time for the Pope to visit and recite the creed agreed at the council in the year 325 with the head of the Orthodox Church.

Santa’s Naughty List ⬆

It’s also the 1,700th anniversary of someone getting on Santa’s naughty list, or so the legend goes. At the Council of Nicaea, Nicholas, the bishop associated with the Santa Claus story, got so mad at his theological opponent Arius that he punched him in the face, according to an unverified account. They both ended up on the naughty list—Nicholas in jail and Arius denounced as a heretic—although Nicholas was restored and Arius was not.

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