Vatican: papal trip to Turkey confirmed (updated)

September 12, 2014

Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See Press Office, reported on September 11 that Pope Francis will visit Turkey in November.

Earlier the papal spokesman had said that although "an ecumenical stop will be planned in Istanbul,” the Vatican had received "no official response" from the Turkish government. The Vatican does not confirm plans for papal trips until receiving an official information from the government. Consequently, Father Lombardi had said-- prior to the receipt of the formal invitation-- that “there is no official information to be communicated nor a program yet established on a possible apostolic trip to Turkey.” On an unofficial basis, plans for the papal trip were already underway.

Citing sources in the Turkish embassy to the Holy See, Crux, the news service recently launched by the Boston Globe, had reported that Pope Francis will travel to Istanbul in November, where he would join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in celebrating the feast of St. Andrew.

 

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Further information:

• Father Lombardi: Papal Visit to Turkey Not Yet Confirmed (Zenit)
• Pope to travel to Turkey in November; Chaldean Patriarch hopes for visit to Iraq (CWN, 9/9)