By John Phillips
VATICAN CITY
Pope Francis called for divine protection for the Turkish people and their leaders Wednesday.
He said that after his trip to Turkey last weekend, he wished that the country could continue to be a place “of peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultures.”
“May God continue to protect the Turkish people, their authorities, its representatives also in the different faiths, so that together they can build a place of peace, of peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultures,” said Francis speaking to pilgrims and faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square for his weekly audience.
The pontiff reflected on his pastoral visit to Ankara and Istanbul, recalling that he had met with a group of refugees from Syria and Iraq who were being looked after by Salesian priests, named after St. Francis de Sales, a 19th century bishop in Geneva.
“It was very important for me to meet some refugees from the war zones of the Middle East, both to express the closeness of myself and the Church and to underline the value of welcoming people, in which Turkey also has been very much involved.”
“I thank Turkey again for this welcome, and I thank the Salesians of Istanbul who work with refugees, they are very good … let us pray for all the refugees and exiles that the causes of this painful plague be removed,” Francis said.
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