Born in Turkey, Belkiz went from practicing Islam to becoming an atheist and then discovering Catholicism after a moment with a Protestant friend.
On July 25, 1967, Pope Paul VI set foot on Turkish soil — the first papal visit to Istanbul since it was called Constantinople.
Monsignor Marek Solczyński, apostolic nuncio to Turkey, presided over the ceremony and was surrounded by bishops from the country’s Catholic communities.
The Church of St. Savior in Chora was converted into a mosque in 1511, then became a museum in 1948 for 72 years before being reopened this month.