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Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated mass at a Christian shrine in western
Turkey, as he continues his first official visit to a predominantly Muslim
nation. Many Christians believe the mother of Jesus spent the final years
of her life there.
Several hundred pilgrims attended the outdoor mass under tight
security, many of them from Turkey's Christian minority. Later Wednesday,
the pope visits Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, to meet the head of the
Greek Orthodox Christian church, Patriarch Bartholomew, aimed at healing
the centuries-old divide between Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
Pope Benedict XVI opened his visit to Turkey on Tuesday in Ankara,
where he met with Turkish leaders to promote religious reconciliation
after his recent comments on Islam angered many Muslims.
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