The visit of Pope Benedict XVI takes place under conditions of great tension which did not obtain when his predecessor, John Paul I, visited Turkey nearly thirty years ago. This is largely because of unresolved disputes in the 1990 between the Vatican and Turkey over issues of legal recognition of Catholic churches in Turkey and their ownership. The article recommends modernization of the style of Vatican external representation and new Turkish legislation guaranteeing that foreign churches can operate freely and own their building are recommended to defuse tension in a relationship stretching back many hundreds of years. Please click here to read the text in full