Pope Francis Calls For Religious Freedom On Turkey Trip

Pope Francis called for religious freedom during his trip with Turkey on Friday. His appeal is particularly important in a country where Christians claim they suffer discrimination because most people are Muslim, though the country is constitutionally secular.

On the first day of his three day trip, Pope Francis proclaimed dialogue between religions is the key to bringing peace to the region. He said “interreligious and intercultural dialogue” is the only way to end fundamentalism and terrorism.

Tensions are high between Christians and Muslims because Christians have been killed by Islamic extremists in Syria and Iraq. The pope said the Middle East has “for too long been a theatre for fratricidal wars.”

The pope also told an Israeli newspaper that the persecution of Christians in the Middle East is the worst it has been since Christianity’s beginning.

Turkey also faces problems due to 1.6 million refugees coming into the country, which are mainly Syrians trying to escape fighting. Pope Francis thanked Turkey for sheltering the refugees and said the international community had a “moral obligation” to help Turkey provide for them.

As Pope Francis espouses religious freedom, he simultaneously invites Muslim leaders into a dialogue while urging them to do more to secure the rights of non-Muslim minorities.

During his trip to Turkey, the pope reminded the international community that he supports military intervention to stop the violence of ISIS.

Turkey President Recep Tayyip condemned groups like ISIS that use violence in their quest for a national religion. He also criticized the West for failing to confront Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Turkey president believes the West’s fear of Islam leaves Muslims open to be manipulated by terrorist groups.

Erdogan, a Muslim, believes his country is a model for other countries who are split religiously. However, the small Christian population in Turkey disagrees and believes their rights aren’t being respected.

Since Erdogan took leadership, new mosques have flourished in the country as the famous Halki Orthodox Christian theological school near Isthanbul has remained closed since 1971.

Turkey is the fourth Muslim-majority country Pope Francis has visited since his election in March 2013.

Turkey is also the largest Muslim-majority country he has visited. About 99 percent of the country’s 82 million citizens follow Islam.

Do you think Pope Francis’ calls for religious freedom will result in any positive dialogue?

Pope Francis Calls For Religious Freedom On Turkey Trip