Turkish Prime Minister to Estonia:

In late September, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that when Pope Benedict XVI visits his country later this month, he would “set him straight” with regard to his views on Islam.

In the event, however, Erdogan has decided to forgo delivering a theology lesson to Joseph Ratzinger, deciding to attend a NATO summit in Estonia instead while the pope is in town. Erdogan’s absence means that Benedict XVI will face the rare circumstance of visiting a foreign nation without being welcomed by its head of government.

The Turkish Embassy to the Holy See made the announcement this week.

Though Turkey is officially a secular state, Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has its roots in political Islam, and many observers believe that Erdogan decided to snub the pope out of fear of antagonizing hard-liners still offended by Benedict’s Sept. 12 comments on Mohammed and Islam in Regensburg, Germany.

Turkey faces elections next year, and all indications are that Islamic movements are a rising force in the country’s affairs.

Speaking of the trip, The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, which met in Washington over the past few days,  has issued a statement on the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey.

The Pope’s pilgrimage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate provides us with an opportunity to express our concern regarding the situation in which the Patriarchate finds itself today. From the fourth century, the Church of Constantinople has exercised a significant ministry in the life of the Church, especially in the East. This ministry has continued to our day, despite drastic changes in the political, demographic and religious context. Today the Ecumenical Patriarchate serves the pastoral needs of Orthodox Christians within its jurisdiction in Turkey and a number of other countries. In addition, it provides a point of unity among the autocephalous Orthodox Churches, and coordinates their common witness and service.

We are deeply concerned that the Ecumenical Patriarchate today is subject to severe restrictions placed upon it by the Turkish government. For example, by decisions reached in 1923 and 1970, the government imposed significant limitations on the election of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Even today, the Turkish state does not recognize the historic role that the Patriarch plays among Orthodox Christians outside Turkey. The Turkish government closed the Patriarchate’s Theological School on the island of Halki in 1971 and, in spite of numerous appeals from governmental and religious authorities, still does not allow it to reopen, severely limiting the Patriarchate’s ability to train candidates for the ministry. In addition, the Patriarchate has recently suffered the confiscation of a number of its churches and other properties by the government.

We very much regret these restrictions placed on the ministry of the Ecumenical Patriarchate both within Turkey and abroad. At the same time, we commend those Turkish government leaders and citizens who advocate greater human rights and religious toleration within the country. The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in late November will highlight once again the crucial role played by the Ecumenical Patriarchate for many centuries not only among the Orthodox Churches but also in the broader Christian world.

Take a look at the rest of the press release, summarizing the gathering. Interesting stuff:

At this 71st meeting of the Consultation, the members continued their in-depth study of primacies and conciliarity in the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Professor John Barnet of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary presented a paper, “The Role of Peter in the New Testament.” Professor Brian Daley, SJ, of Notre Dame University, offered a study of the 34th Apostolic Canon, an ancient source often cited as offering insights on this question. Addressing contemporary issues, Rev. Chorbishop John D. Faris of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, delivered his study, “A Synergy of the One and the Many: Governance in the Eastern Catholic Patriarchal Churches.” Rev. Dr. Theodore Pulcini of Dickinson College gave a paper entitled “’Done Properly and in Order’ (I Cor. 14:40): An Examination of Orthodox Ecclesiology Through Its Application in Four Contemporary Situations.”