For Father Andrew Hochstedler, Pope Leo’s visit to Turkey recalls his favourite childhood novels, the Chronicles of Narnia. For him, it is as if Aslan the lion is coming.
“Aslan in the book is a symbol for a Christ figure,” the parish priest at the St Anthony of Padua church told The National. “The Pope is the servant of all servants, he is the leader of the church. He's representing Christ on Earth. So there is that connection.”
Outside, the Holy See’s flag has been hoisted up the side of the 113-year-old church building, on the bustling Istiklal Avenue shopping street in central Istanbul. Inside, cards bearing Pope Leo’s face have been prepared with a prayer in Turkish for his visit.
The leader of the world’s Catholics will head to Turkey on Thursday and then to Lebanon, in his first overseas trip since his appointment in May following the death of Pope Francis. In Turkey, he will visit Istanbul's renowned Blue Mosque and make a stop in the city of Iznik, where in the year 325 a council of bishops created a basis of beliefs still used in Christian worship today. In Lebanon, in the shadow of renewed Israeli air strikes, Pope Leo will visit churches and hold a prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion.
There is a palpable excitement among Turkey’s Catholic and wider Christian community about Pope Leo’s long-awaited visit to the country, whose territory is dotted with sites from the religion's history. There are no concrete figures for Turkey's Christian population, though the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom estimates that under one per cent of the country's 86 million people are non-Muslim. That figure also includes Jews, Yazidis and other faiths.
For such a small community, Pope Leo’s visit is a chance for them to feel seen. “He will bless us, it’s a lovely thing,” said Filiz, a 50-year-old worshipper at a church in western Istanbul. “Even if I can't talk to him, he will have seen us. We will be in his aura.” The National is printing only the first names of Christian churchgoers because of fears about a possible backlash if they speak out about their religion.
“Catholics are a small minority, but the whole country is moving – the President, the church, and Christians feel that they belong to a bigger community,” said Father Paolo, a priest who has been based in Turkey for a decade. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will welcome Pope Leo in an official ceremony in the capital, Ankara.
Meeting the logistical challenge of welcoming the Pope – the fifth holder of the office to visit Turkey – is an act of interfaith relations in itself, Christians believe. The last papal visit to Turkey was by Pope Francis in 2014.
“Even Muslim policemen are putting everything on the line for the papal visit. They are providing everything for security, for the organisation of the mass,” said Nikol, another churchgoer in Istanbul, referring to a large-scale prayer that the Pope will lead at a stadium in the city. “So there is actually a unity here, even if involuntarily. Everyone is helping.”
Turkey’s Christian minority hopes it will build trust and interfaith relations with the Muslim majority. Pope Leo has made statements on issues that rouse strong feelings among Turks, including on the war in Gaza. In September, he said there was, “no future based on violence, forced exile, or vengeance”, in reference to the crisis in the war-torn strip.
“This Pope is working for peace and has spoken out about the situation in Gaza, which is a sensitive issue,” said Father Andrew, who was born in Turkey to US parents and speaks fluent Turkish. “So I think that there's a sense his coming will say to the people around us, we're on your side.”
There is also a sense of spirituality in Turkey that transcends different religions, stemming from beliefs in the power of holy men regardless of creed. The majority of people who come to ask Father Andrew for blessings are Muslims, who often ask for partners for their children or healing from physical or mental sickness. Others come to simply ask questions, including, recently, a young imam from the city of Izmir.
“There are no qualms about asking a Christian to pray for you precisely because you're praying to Jesus, who is a healer, who is a prophet,” said Father Andrew.
On paper, Turkey is a secular country and has no state religion, although some observers suggest the rule of Mr Erdogan, a devout Muslim, has propelled forward the dominance of Islam. Church authorities face major problems because they have no official legal status in the country.
“I think that's one of the most concrete, biggest difficulties, because how do you operate when you're not recognised?” said Father Andrew at the St Anthony of Padua Church.
Conversion from Islam to Christianity is legal, and some of Turkey’s Christians used to be Muslims. Yigit, 17, grew up in a Muslim family in Istanbul but decided to convert. He said his family supported his decision, but added that he was “lucky”.
“My mother went abroad and she bought me Christmas presents of rosaries and statues of Jesus, since there are not many of them here,” he told The National. “So they gave me a lot of freedom in this regard.”
But even with his family’s support, he feels nervous about openly showing signs of his faith, and he hides the cross pendant he wears when riding the city metro, for example. Christians have been openly targeted in Turkey, including in a fatal gun attack on a church in Istanbul last year.
Despite the difficulties, Turkey’s Christians are buoyed by the idea of Pope Leo’s presence in the country, and for its potential to build Christian-Muslim ties. The visit is perhaps “a sign of love for Muslims too”, said Nikol, one of the churchgoers. “Because the Pope coming here is actually an expression showing that everyone is one.”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
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- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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ASHES SCHEDULE
First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth)
Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
