” “"As the supreme pastor of the Catholic Church, I consider dialogue a duty, to give a contribution to a better understanding between faiths and religions, including Islam". With these words, uttered off the cuff, Benedict XVI took his leave of the Turkish delegation, headed by the Prefect of Istanbul who personally thanked him for "his declarations on Islam that made us happy", thus pushing away the "too many misinterpretations" that weigh on it. The airport of Istanbul was the stage of a conversation that saw the Pope "thank for the warmth and friendship of the population, who has been slightly inconvenienced by the situation" due to his visit. "Although I could not see everything in those gems that are the Mosque and Saint Sophia added the Pope, still off the cuff , mine is a lasting impression. I remain deeply grateful to Istanbul. It has been a relaxed visit, also thanks to the help of the population, and I hope it will remain as a sign of friendship between peoples and religions". (to be continued)” “
