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CatholicGeopolitics|ForeignAffairs

TONYGENTILE/COURTESYREUTERS

PopeFrancisandTurkish
PresidentTayyipErdoganwalk
SNAPSHOT

November 28, 2014

CatholicGeopolitics
ThePope,Erdogan,Syria,andUkraine
ByVictorGaetan

nthelastfewdaysoNovember,PopeFranciswilluseavisittoTurkeyto
advancetwogoals:winninggreaterprotectionforChristiansintheMiddleEast
anddrawingtheCatholicandOrthodoxChurchesclosertogether.Neitheris
new;PopeBenedictXVIwasinIstanbuleightyearsagowithasimilaragendaandnear
identicalitinerary.ButthewarsinIraq,Syria,andUkrainehavemakeFrancismission
moreurgentthanever.
PAPATURCA
TurkeyhasneverhadalargeCatholicpopulation,butthecountryloomslargein
Churchhistory.CatholicsbelievethatJesusmother,Mary,diedinEphesus(Seluk
today).Turkeyisalsothebirthplaceo St.Paul,whosemissionaryjourneysinAsia
MinorandsubsequentletterstonewChristiancommunitiescompriseseveralNew
Testamentbooks.Further,theBookoRevelationwascomposedontheAegeanisland
oPatmos,otheTurkishcoast.Turkeyisalsooneo theVaticansoldestformal
bilateralrelationships:TheVaticanandTurkeyestablisheddiplomaticrelationsin1868,
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morethan100yearsbeforetheUnitedKingdom(1982),theUnitedStates(1984),and
Mexico(1992).
Therelationshiphasntalwaysbeeneasy.WhenhetookpowerinTurkeyintheearly
1920s,KemalAtaturkcreatedaradicallyantireligiousregime.Thestateconscated
churchproperty,bannedreligiousgarb,prohibitedthepublicdisplayo religious
symbols,andmadeMuslimimamspublicemployees.Evenso,theCatholicarchbishop,
AngeloRoncalli,dutifullyrepresentedtheVaticaninTurkeybetween1934and1944,
andhishumilityandrespectforTurkishculturemadehimapopular,eective
diplomat.
HespokeuentTurkish,allowedTurkishtobeusedinChurchceremoniesand
documents,andopenlyadmiredMuslimdevotiontoprayer.Hereachedouttothe
OrthodoxChurchwhenamassivepopulationexchangesentmorethanonemillion
Greeks,manyo whomhadbeenlivinginTurkeyforcenturies,toGreece.During
WorldWarII,RoncalliusedhispositiontohelpJewseeingHitlergettoPalestine
throughTurkey.
RoncallibroughttheskillsheexhibitedinTurkeytoRomein1958,whenhebecame
PopeJohnXXIII.Tothisday,heiscalledPapaTurcainTurkey.Itisinthetolerant,
openheartedspirito JohnXXIII,canonizedearlierthisyearatFrancisinsistence,that
thecurrentpontimustreachouttoTurkishPresidentRecepTayyipErdoganthis
week.
PARTNERSFORPEACE
DespitecallsfromTurkisharchitectsandenvironmentaliststoavoidvisitingErdogan
inhiscontroversialnewpalacebuiltforoverhal abilliondollarsinaprotectedforest,
Francishasagreedtobetherstheado statetobereceivedattheWhitePalace.
Althoughitmightseemincongruousforthenotoriouslyfrugalpontitobeseenin
Erdogansostentatiouspalace,theVaticandoesntconsiderthepresidentsstylechoices
relevanttothismission.Norwillthepopeheedsomecommentatorsadvicetotalk
aboutantiChristianprejudiceandviolenceinthecountry,whichmanybelievesome
Turkishocialsarestoking,andwhichhasresultedinseveralhighprolemurders
overthelasteightyearsincludingthebeheadingo abelovedbishopbyhisdriver.
Twoyearsago,ErdoanBayraktar,theministero environmentandurbanism,declared
thatChristianityisnolongerareligionbutaculture,suggestingthatitdeserves
neitherrespectnorinstitutionalrecognition.
Instead,thepopewillemphasizepointso agreementwithErdogan.Following
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Catholiccatechism,FrancisemphasizessharedChristianandMuslimbelie inone
God.IslamconsidersJesustobeaprophet,borntoavirgin,andMaryisthemost
frequentlymentionedwomanintheKoran.FranciswillvisitMarysHouseinSeluk,a
popularMuslimshrineandCatholicpilgrimagesite,thushighlightingcommon
elementsbetweenthetwofaiths.

Franciswillalsofocusonthetwoleaderscommonenemy:Islamicfundamentalism.
Mosto thevictimso theIslamicStateinIraqandalSham(ISIS)havebeenMuslim.
ButthegrouphasalsosystematicallytargetedChristiancommunities.InMosullast
summer,ISISmarkedChristianhousesandorderedresidentstoconvert,leavethecity,
payatax,ordie.InAleppo,meanwhile,twohighrankingOrthodoxbishopswere
kidnappedinApril2013andhaveneverbeenfound.
CATHOLIC GEOPOLITICS
Amongothertragedies,themurderoFransvanderLugt,abelovedDutchbornJesuit
Victor Gaet an
whorefusedtoleavehischurchinHoms,wasparticularlydevastating.Astheconict
DIANA LICA
woreon,hesentvideomessagestoWesterncolleaguesdocumentingthestarvationand
isolationo hisneighborsinHoms,underconstantbombardment.Theprieststayedon,
evenwhenonly24Christiansremained.Onthedaythataceaserehehelpednegotiate
wassupposedtobesigned,amaskedgunmanshothiminthefaceinthegardeno his
monastery.

O course,whatsmosturgentforChristianswhenitcomestoTurkeyistherefugee
situation.O theestimated13.6millionpeopledisplacedbyconictinIraqandSyria,
some1.1millionareIraqiChristiansandatleast500,000areSyrianChristians.Turkey
hasreceivedapproximately1.6millionrefugees,providingshelter,food,andmedical
careforabout1.1milliono theminover20refugeecenters.
Tomakeprogressineacho theseareas,FranciswillappealtoErdoganasAtaturks
morepioussuccessor.FranciswillurgeErdogantorejectviolencedoneinAllahsname
againstinnocents.HemayalsoputforwardaplanproposedbylayCatholicleader
AndreaRiccarditosaveAleppo,Syriaslargestcity,nowundersiege.Aleppohas
importantreligioussitesandasignicantChristianpopulation.Riccardienvisions
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creatinghumanitariancorridorstoAleppotoallowinsuppliestociviliansandaUN
peacekeepingforce.Todate,theproposalhasattractedsupportfromawiderangeof
internationalguresincludingMuslimleadersfromPakistan,Indonesia,Lebanon,and
France.Erdoganssupporto theplancouldturnitintoareality.
NOTSOGREATSCHISM
ThepopessecondassignmentwhileinTurkeyiseasierbecauseitismore
straightforward:publiclydemonstratinghisrespectandaectionforEcumenical
PatriarchBartholomewIasparto anongoing,50yeardialoguebetweenCatholicsand
Orthodox,whichcomprisedonechurchuntil1054sGreatSchism.Thepopealsoaims
toboostthestandingo thebeleagueredpatriarchinthefaceo adismissiveTurkish
governmentandanoftenoverbearinginstitutionaldaughter,theRussianOrthodox
Church.
FrancisvisitistimedtotheNovember30Feasto St.Andrew,theapostlewho
foundedtheChristianChurchintheEast.St.Andrewwasthebiologicalbrothero St.
Peter,whofoundedtheCatholicChurchintheWest.Theresnodisputebetweenthe
twochurchesregardingapostoliclineageorthevalidityo theirrespectivesacraments;
thetwodiermainlyinform,notdoctrineexceptforthemainstumblingblock,
Catholicdoctrineonpapalprimacy.
TheOrthodoxChurchislesshierarchicalthantheCatholicChurch:Itiscomprisedof
17selfgoverningentitieswithdistinctgeographicaljurisdictions,uniedbytheology
andworship.AnothervechurchesintheOrthodoxcommunionareconsidered
autonomousmembersbysome,butnotrecognizedbyall.
Theheadso eachOrthodoxChurchareconsideredequal,althoughtheEcumenical
Patriarch,astheoriginalleader,hashistoricallybeenconsideredtherstamong
equalsandhasseveraluniqueroles:responsibilityforcallinginterOrthodoxsynods,
participatingininterfaithdiscussions,andgoverningparishesnotincludedinexisting
OrthodoxChurchstructures.
ButTurkishpressureonBartholomewsChurchhasdiminisheditsinternational
prestige.Forone,theTurkishgovernmentdoesnotrecognizethePatriarchsglobal
role,preferringtoseehimasalocalbishopwithatiny,andshrinking,ocko some
20,000GreekOrthodoxnationwidejust.03percento thepopulation.Evenworse,
theTurkishgovernmentclosedtheOrthodoxChurchsonlyseminaryin1971,thus
denyingittheabilitytoproducenewleaders(byTurkishlaw,thepatriarchisrequired
tobeaTurkishcitizen).Despitelobbyingandpressurefromscoreso internationaland
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nationalleaders,includingU.S.PresidentBarackObama,theHolyTheologicalSchool
oHalkiremainsabeautifullypreservedconferenceandreligiouscenterwithaunique
biblicalgarden.
ThepressureonBartholomewwithinTurkeyisbadenough,butRussiamightpresent
anevenbiggerproblem.TheRussianOrthodoxChurchisthelargestandwealthiest
patriarchate,andithasexperiencedasurgeinmembershipandnationalstatussincethe
fallo Communism.Atrst,theVaticanwashappytoimprovetieswitharesurgent
RussianOrthodoxChurch.Butoverthelastyear,ecumenicalprogresshasbeen
threatenedbythecrisisinUkraine.
TheRussianOrthodoxChurchblamestheUkrainianGreekCatholicChurch(UGCC),
centeredinWesternUkraine,forfomentingwarandcreatinganalliancewith
schismaticelementso UkrainianOrthodoxy.IntheRussianchurchsview,the
UGCC,togetherwithtwoOrthodoxChurchentitiesseekingindependencefrom
MoscowtheUkrainianOrthodoxChurchKievPatriarchate(UOCKP)andthe
smallerselfdeclaredautocephalousUkrainianAutocephalousOrthodoxChurch
(UAOC)wishtotearawaytheOrthodoxfaithfulinUkrainefromtheirMother
Church,theMoscowPatriarchate,withwhichUkrainehasbeenboundbyageold
bloodties.

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Francisisthusinanawkwardsituation,whichi exacerbated,tensionsbetweenthe
churchsbranchescouldblowup.Currently,thelevelo misunderstandingbetweenthe
proWesternside(UGCCandUOCKP)andtheRussianOrthodoxChurchis
worrisome.FrancisstillseesBartholomew,theEcumenicalPatriarch,asapotential
mediatorinwhatcouldbecomeacivilwar,especiallyi thedomesticreligiousgroups
diginorintensifytheirfaceo.Bartholomewisconsideredwiseandgood,aHolyMan
whoenjoysbeingcalledtheGreenPatriarchforhisdedicationtotheenvironment.
ButFrancismightbemistakeni hebelievesthat,after2014,peacemakersinUkraine
arestillblessed.
AsBartholomewsadvisorshavepointedout,evenheisimpatientwiththeRussian
OrthodoxChurchbecauseittendstobeheavyhandedanddismissiveo hisroleand
value,notunliketheTurkishgovernment.PerhapsthatiswhyBartholomewcamevery
closetorecognizingtheautonomyo theUOCKPin2008attherequesto itsleader,
PatriarchFilaret,age85.Atthelastminute,recognitionwascalledobecauseFilaret
(whoisaformerbishopintheRussianOrthodoxChurch)changedthetermso the
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agreement.AbishopclosetothePatriarchtoldmethatrecentdevelopmentsin
UkrainefacilitatethepossibilityfortheEcumenicalPatriarchatetointerveneand
recognizePatriarchFilaretorhissuccessor.Suchamovewouldfurtherpolarize
Ukrainealongreligiouslines.
Inotherwords,FrancismightfaceahardertaskinTurkeythanhispredecessors.
Althoughwillingtoenterdangerouszonestoadvancepeaceandseekkindredpartners,
itremainstobeseeniErdoganiswillingtousehisimmensepowerinapapal
partnershiporiBartholomewwillwinbackthecloutneededtofunctionasrstamong
equals.Onethingiscertain,Francisisundeterredinhispeaceseekingmission.

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