The last number of “Presence”, the magazine of the Turkish Catholic Church, published in recent days, is entirely dedicated to Benedict XVI’s visit to the country last November. “We experienced this visit as a time of grace”, writes the apostolic vicar of Istanbul, Msgr. Louis Pelâtre, in his editorial. He recalls all the phases of the Pope’s visit: from his arrival at the airport to his visit to the Blue Mosque and to the museum of Hagia Sophia, down to his meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew I: the embrace and “greeting between the two on the balcony” is perhaps the clearest and most significant moment of the three days spent in Turkey. Illustrated with photos and little maps, “Presence” publishes all the speeches and words of Benedict XVI and a press review of coverage of the papal visit in the Turkish press. Distributed together with the magazine is a booklet “John XXIII, friend of the Turks”, tracing the life of the Blessed, born at Sotto il Monte (Bergamo), who felt a profound bond of love for Turkey”. “He was – says the booklet – a man of peace and of unity, indefatigable worker for the unity of the Churches”. In 2000 Turkey dedicated to Angelo Roncalli a series of celebrations with the participation, on behalf of the Holy See, of Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture. An inter-cultural and inter-religious centre at Trebizond, dedicated to Father Andrea Santoro, the Roman priest killed in the Turkish city on 5 February 2006, will be inaugurated in May.
