c. 2006 Religion News Service

ROME _ Two Turkish men temporarily hijacked a plane bound for Istanbul on Tuesday (Oct. 3) in an apparent act of protest against Pope Benedict XVI and his plans to visit Turkey in late November.

All 113 passengers safely exited the Turkish Airlines plane after it landed under military escort at an airport in southern Italy.

The hijackers were unarmed and surrendered to Italian police after two hours of negotiations, during which the pair requested permission to deliver a message to the pope, aviation authorities said. The officials did not disclose the content of the alleged message.

If confirmed, the incident ranks among the most alarming acts of protest directed at Benedict in the wake of his remarks on Islam last month during a speech in Germany. It also represents a test to Benedict’s resolve to visit Turkey on Nov. 28, his first trip to a predominantly Muslim country.

The Vatican’s deputy spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, said the pope was keeping abreast of the incident, but declined to say whether it would affect the pope’s travel plans. The Associated Press quoted Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi saying that preparations for the trip were “going ahead.”

Aviation officials said the plane took off from Tirana, Albania, and was en route to Istanbul, Turkey, when the hijackers seized control of the plane. It was unclear how the unarmed hijackers managed to gain control of the aircraft.

Although the Turkish government has reaffirmed its support for Benedict’s trip, lawmakers and Muslim clerics in Turkey have been among the loudest voices to denounce the pope and question his plans to visit the country. Much of the furor has focused on Benedict’s use of a quote by a 14th century Byzantine emperor that called the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad “evil and inhuman.”

Churches were firebombed in the West Bank, threats were issued by terrorist groups, and a nun was gunned down in Somalia hours after a local Muslim leader issued a call to “hunt down” the pontiff and kill anyone who offends Muhammad.

The Turkish gunman who shot the late Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square in 1981 has also warned Benedict not to visit Turkey in November. Mehmet Ali Agca, who is currently serving a prison sentence in Istanbul, issued the warning through his lawyer, who reported the comments to the Associated Press.

“As a man who knows these things, I am saying that your life is in danger, don’t come to Turkey,” the AP quoted Agca as saying. Agca also appealed to Benedict to step down as pope and retire to Germany.

The pope has made several attempts to quell the violent reactions to his comments. A week ago he met with envoys representing predominantly Muslim countries, expressing his “respect” for Islam and his desire to advance dialogue between Christians and Muslims. That meeting came on the heels of a rare apology Benedict issued during his regular Sunday address Sept. 17, saying he was “deeply sorry” for the reaction he provoked.

Many Muslim leaders, however, have continued to insist that the gestures have not clarified whether the pontiff actually regretted making his remarks. Benedict has rebuffed calls to issue a second apology.

Benedict’s push to visit Turkey has been a frequent source of tension with the government. Many Turks regard Benedict with suspicion for comments he made as a cardinal when he opposed Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, saying the country’s historical roots put it in “permanent contrast” with Europe.

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, an Istanbul-based spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox churches, angered Turkish authorities by inviting Benedict to visit him last November. The Turkish government effectively blocked the visit by inviting Benedict to visit in 2006.

KRE/PH END MEICHTRY