Vatican City, Feb 9, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Earlier today, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI will, in fact, make a much anticipated trip to Turkey in November at the invitation of that country’s president.

During a noontime press conference, Vatican Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls confirmed that “Ahmet Necdet Sezer, president of Turkey, has invited His Holiness Benedict XVI to make an official visit to that country from November 28 to 30, 2006.”
 
Although he said that the Holy Father has accepted the invitation, the details of the visit have yet to be defined.

Over the weekend, a Roman missionary priest, Fr. Andrea Santoro, was assassinated in Trabzon, Turkey while praying in a church where he had just celebrated Mass. The Pope has expressed his hope that Fr. Santoro’s sacrifice would be an instrument for peace and inter-religious dialogue in the country.

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