Pope Leo XIV visits Turkey. A country, the Holy Father said, that can "be a factor of stability and rapprochement among peoples, in the service of a just and lasting peace."
For the Pontiff, Turkey represents "a bridge between East and West, between Asia and Europe" and "today more than ever there is a need for personalities who foster dialogue and practice it with firm will and patient tenacity."
"We are experiencing," Prevost continued, "a period of intense global conflict, in which strategies of economic and military power are prevailing, fueling what Pope Francis called a 'third world war fought piecemeal.' But we must not give in to this trend under any circumstances."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Pope Leo XIV's visit to Turkey "raises hopes for world peace."
"I believe that the messages conveyed by Turkey will reach the Turkish-Islamic world and the Christian world, increasing hopes for peace in the world," Erdogan emphasized after the meeting with the Pontiff, which he described as "productive." "Our esteemed guest's calls for peace and dialogue are also extremely valuable for the success of the diplomatic process," Erdogan concluded, referring to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
(Unioneonline)
