Turkish troops invaded and occupied the northern third of Cyprus in 1974. On the first day of an apostolic journey to Cyprus and Greece, during his address to political leaders and members of the diplomatic corps, Pope Francis called on the nation to be a “workshop of peace” (full text of address).

The Pope also expressed his “desire that the good news of the Gospel may bring from here to Europe a message of joy, under the banner of the Beatitudes.”

“For what the earliest Christians gave to the world with the gentle power of the Spirit was an unprecedented message of beauty.” he said. “It was the amazing newness of the Beatitudes, addressed to everyone, that won hearts and bestowed freedom upon many. This country has inherited a particular responsibility in that regard, namely, to be a messenger of beauty among the continents.”