In one of the few breaks granted by the rain, the president of the Focolare offered the following prayer at the tombs of the patriarchs Athenagoras I and Dimitrios I: “Eternal Father, hasten our steps towards full communion between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church. (. . .) “We entrust to you each one of them who knew Chiara Lubich so well, and the continuation of the ecumenical journey.” Maria Voce was accompanied by a group of focolarini from Istanbul, in the tiny cemetery of Balikli, situated within the Orthodox Shrine of Mary Source of Life.      After the important audience with Patriarch Bartholomew I(the reason for the trip), the president’s stay in the historic city continued with other meetings, such as the one with Father Luigi Iannitto, a 91 year old Conventual Franciscan who had encountered the charism of unity in 1949 and, in the seventies, had gathered together the first group of those who began to live the spirituality of the Focolare in this land. In an atmosphere of deep friendship there was also a meeting with a group of Muslims in Istanbul who for many years have been in close collaboration with the Movement. Bishop Louis Pelatre, Apostolic Vicar of the Latin Church in Istanbul, welcomed Maria Voce warmly. They have known each other since the eighties, when both lived in Istanbul. They wasted no time, immediately jumping on to the big issues, beginning with the dialogues and their great importance. “They are the new frontier; we can’t close ourselves” the prelate emphasised, as he expressed great appreciation for the work that the Orthodox Patriarch is carrying forward in ecumenical dialogue and in the dialogue with Muslims. Finally, he thanked Maria Voce warmly “for having not only maintained two focolares in Istanbul, but for also having renewed them with the arrival of two young focolarini.” Regarding living in frontier situations, Bishop Pelatre reported that to those who from time to time asked him what he was doing in Turkey, given the small number of faithful there, he always answers: “It’s not fair to say there is nothing to do, but rather we should figure out how to do.” On the same street which is named after Bishop Roncalli, since the future Pope XXIII was nuncio here at the turn of the forties, there is the seat of the Apostolic Nuncio, where the meeting with Archbishop Antonio Lucibello took place. He began by extending warm Calabrian greetings, due to  their common origins, and then there was the visit to Pope Roncalli’s study.  Next they had private discussions about the relationship with Islam. “A dialogue that is more cultural rather than interreligious,” he stressed. He showed profound esteem for Bartholemew I and his untiring ecumenical efforts and for his efforts with Islam. Maria Voce then returned to visit some of the symbolic sites of the city, from the Blue Mosque to the Islamic Art Museum. At Hagia Sophia – first a basilica, then a mosque, now a museum – she admitted, “I can’t hold back the emotion, despite the crowd: this is a place that immediately links you to Heaven. I felt like asking God’s forgiveness for the disunity that’s been created between the churches.” Before returning to Rome, there was an evening together with the all the Focolare community in Istanbul. There were remembrances of old times, deep sharing and listening and lots of loud laughter. “We really feel that you are one of us,” someone told Maria Voce as they said goodbye. To which she replied: “Then consider your president Turkish!”