A Prayer and an Olive Branch

By DAVID VAN BIEMA

One way for a Pope to show goodwill to people of other faiths is to pray in their holy places. In Istanbul last week, Benedict XVI unexpectedly replicated a signature gesture by John Paul II in Jerusalem in 2000. Both won praise for their irenic moves.

Pope John Paul II

PLACE The Western Wall

GESTURE Tucked a note between the stones, asking God's forgiveness for ill done to Jews

EFFECT Helped decrease Jewish-Catholic tensions after a previous papal document apologized on behalf of Christianity's errant members but not for any acts of the church

Pope Benedict XVI

PLACE Sultan Ahmet Mosque

GESTURE Silent meditation facing Mecca, with Turkey's senior Muslim cleric by his side

EFFECT Helped decrease Islamic-Catholic tensions after his aggressive speech in September. It was a surprise from Benedict, previously no fan of public interfaith symbolism