Pope Francis attends Divine Liturgy with Ecumenical Patriarch

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
has attended the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I on the Feast of St. Andrew at the Church of St. George at
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Sunday is the third and
last day of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Turkey. Upon conclusion of
the Liturgy, the two Church leaders are expected to sign a Joint
Declaration. This will be followed by lunch at the Patriarchate. In
the early afternoon, before leaving Istanbul at 5pm local time, Pope
Francis will meet students of the Salesian Oratory.

Pope
Francis began the day Sunday with a private mass at the papal
nunciature in Istanbul. Following Mass, he met the Great Rabbi of
Turkey, Isak Haleva, head of the 25,000 strong Jewish community in the
predominantly Muslim country. Rabbi Haleva previously had met Pope
Benedict XVI in Istanbul, during the former pontiff’s pastoral visit to
Turkey on 30 November 2006.