Pope Benedict XVI entered the Mosque with his shoes

Pope Benedict XVI did not remove his shoes to visit the largest mosque in Jordan, in Amman Saturday, as organizers had planned a special course that (according to them) does not require removing them, said the press spokesman of the Vatican , Father Federico Lombardi.

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Father Lombardi was asked at a press conference that the pope had his shoes on his feet during the visit of the Mosque ‘El Hussein bin Talal’ in Amman, while it is generally required to remove his shoes when entering a mosque.

Benedict XVI was prepared to remove them but his escorts have taken a special course and did not asked him to do so, he explained. He said that it should in no way be interpreted as a sign of disrespect to Islam.