AHC/WI: Pope and Caliph meet

Wallet

Banned
What if, at some point after the death of Muhammad, the Caliph met the Pope for a formal meeting? It could be purly symbolic or have long reaching affects. How, when, and where could this be arranged?

Bonus points if it's when the Islamic Empire was at its height stretching from Spain to Pakistan and when Christandome was still united. Another interesting idea is during a much more successful Mongol invasion and a joint Christian-Muslim army repels a siege of either Rome or Jerusalem.

EXTRA BONUS: If there are Jewish representation at this meeting.
 
During the heyday of the Islamic Empire travel was too slow and dangerous to make a meeting between the Pope and Caliph feasible, even if they had anything to talk about. Your best bet would probably be to make the Caliphate survive the fall of the Ottomans and have a Papal-Caliphal meeting arranged sometime during the twentieth century. John Paul II liked going around meeting people, so I could definitely see him agreeing to a meeting.
 
I'd say if secularization of the Islamic world comes to point where the Caliph is basically the equivalent of the OTL Japanese Emperor now or Monarch of England (a little bit of power, but is mostly ceremonial), there might be a series of potential meetings between the Pope and Caliph as purely diplomatic meetings (though there could be issues discussed).
 
Ottomans survive until fast, reliable, commercial air travel. The Ottoman Caliph meets the Pope on a normal diplomatic mission.

Yeah, this. Alternatively, have the Pope in a surviving Ottoman Empire TL meet the Patriarch of Constantinople, but decide to meet with the Sultan as well.
 
Probably easiest way is that Caliphate survives to 20th century. Before that travelling lasted too long and was quiet dangerous. And there should be good relationships with Catholics and Muslims before any formal meeting is possible.
 
What if, at some point after the death of Muhammad, the Caliph met the Pope for a formal meeting? It could be purly symbolic or have long reaching affects. How, when, and where could this be arranged?

Bonus points if it's when the Islamic Empire was at its height stretching from Spain to Pakistan and when Christandome was still united. Another interesting idea is during a much more successful Mongol invasion and a joint Christian-Muslim army repels a siege of either Rome or Jerusalem.

EXTRA BONUS: If there are Jewish representation at this meeting.

Would they combine, annihilate each other and release spiritual energy?
 
A captured Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi goes before Pope Francis to ask for forgiveness.

About as likely as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi personally leading a mission to assassinate the Pope, admittedly.
 
Okay, I got this. Well... if you can stretch the definition of "formal meeting."

The Muslim pirates who raid Rome in 846 don't just plunder the Vatican, but somehow manage to scale the city walls and sack Rome itself. They can't really hold the city, but Pope Sergius II is captured. Since the raiders are under the auspices of the Aghlabids, who pay tribute to the Abbasids, the Aghlabid emir decides to offer the enslaved Pope as part of his tribute, and Sergius manages to be taken to Baghdad before his death (which IOTL was only about six months after the raid, but hey, maybe the abundant butterflies keep him alive a little longer).
 
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