Vatican to return religious relics to Turkey

The Orthodox church, headed by Istabul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Barthlomew I, had lobbied the Vatican for the return of the remains of Saints John Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzen during Barthlomew’s meeting with Pope John Paul II in June.
On Thursday, Vatican officials announced that the holy relics, looted from Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204 and later taken to Rome, would be returned to the keeping of the Orthodox church in November.
However, the officials confirmed that the 84 year old Pope will not be coming to Istanbul to attend the hand over ceremony as his overseas travel commitments have been curtailed due to his declining health.