Byzantine, Texas

( spc.rs ) - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom: During the eleventh century, disputes raged in Constantinople about which of the three hierarchs was the greatest. Some preferred St Basil (January 1), others honored St Gregory the Theologian (January 25), while a third group exalted St John Chrysostom (January 27 and November 13). Dissension among Christians increased. Some called themselves Basilians, others referred to themselves as Gregorians, and others as Johnites. Some argued for Saint Basil above the other two because he was able, as none other, to explain the mysteries of the Faith, and rose to angelic rank by his virtues. The partisans of Saint Chrysostom retorted that the illustrious Archbishop of Constantinople had been no less zealous than Saint Basil in combating vices, in bringing sinners to repentance and in raising up the whole people to the perfection of the Gospel. According to a third group, Saint Gregory the Theologian was to be pref...

I went to this last year and hope to got again this year. People drove from the far reaches of Canada to get to it. Consider making the trip. ( OCA ) - The Diocese of the Midwest and the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania will host the second annual Small Parish Forum at Saint Nicholas Church here July 18-20 2015. Titled “Help, Hope, Stability and Identity,” the forum will focus on the needs of “small” parishes throughout the OCA and other Orthodox jurisdictions. Workshops and presentations will explore ways to assist parishes with memberships of 75 or less souls to achieve stability, build a positive self-image, and accept their calling to live a life in Christ without necessarily becoming “big.” “Small Parishes can bring people to Christ in intimate and exciting ways often unavailable to larger parishes,” said Joseph Kormos, Forum co-chairperson and Parish Development Leader for the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh. “The sessions will offer actionable, hard information, and tips a...

God blessed our family with the birth of a new child in December. I suspect Adam spent somewhat more time naming all the animals, but we haven't arrived at a name quickly for any of our children. After all that time spent in study, the mind continues to cogitate on the topic even after the paperwork is signed. Recently I thought to myself: "Wouldn't people name their children differently if the hospital loaned them iPads with an app on it with a database of name origins?" You have selected: Chandler Are you a candlemaker or from a family of candle enthusiasts? You have selected: Hannibal Are you a follower of the demonic and nefarious false god Ba'al? Do you believe he imparts grace? If so, this is the name for you. We have scheduled a visit with the chaplain during today's lunch service. You have selected: Gomer Buck up. This is a name of Hebrew origin good for both boys and girls and can be denominated with pride. Marine families can also choo...

Recently I was reading some discussion about the Cross over Crescent seen in Orthodoxy. Many origins for it were given (below is one from Wikipedia). From reference to the moon in Revelation (a common Marian image), to an ancient symbol of the Church, to an anchor, to a simple statement against the Ottomans. If anyone has a scholarly source on this development, I'd love to hear about it. Please email or place in the comments. ( Wikipedia ) - One variation of the Orthodox Cross is the 'Cross over Crescent'. "In 1486, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) conquered the city of Kazan which had been under the rule of Moslem Tatars, and in remembrance of this, he decreed that from henceforth the Islamic crescent be placed at the bottom of the Crosses to signify the victory of the Cross (Christianity) over the Crescent (Islam)." This 'Cross over Crescent' is sometimes accompanied by "Gabriel perched on the top of the Cross blowing his trumpet."

This is commonly said, but not universally understood. Well worth your time to read this blog post from Roads from Emmaus . Today I read the comments on this YouTube video . I know, I know—YouTube comments generally are the lowest form of discourse on the Internet, and I wasn’t terribly surprised to see that someone thought that the musical line “Most Holy Mother of God, save us” was “blasphemous.” (He preferred to hear his blasphemy in Latin, apparently.) I must admit to being a bit baffled, because usually those who would regard the idea that the Virgin Mary could “save” us as “blasphemous” come from traditions with a strong attachment to the words of Holy Scripture. Presumably, “save” should only be used regarding God Himself. But the Scripture itself doesn’t set that limit. The Apostle Paul is of the opinion that he can save people and that others can do so, too, that they can even save themselves... Complete article here .

MOSCOW ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – In the first-ever speech by a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Duma, Patriarch Kirill has called on the Russian government to build on its support for the family and traditional marriage by defunding abortion in the country, with the objective of eliminating the killing of pre-born children altogether. “If we manage to cut the number of abortions by 50 percent we would have stable and powerful population growth,” said the patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. “The argument that a ban would cause an increase in the number of underground abortions is pure nonsense. People have to pay money for these operations and our task is to make the price of a legal infanticide the same as of the illegal one. Taxpayers must not pay for this,” the Orthodox Church leader told the MPs. Patriarch Kirill said that while the solution to Russia's impending demographic disaster is complex, the most pressing need is, apart from banning or at least restric...

This is some fascinating reading. Parts that leapt out at me... Most monasteries are female. Most of US monasteries are relatively ʺyoung.ʺ Indeed, an absolute majority of them (39 out of 71) were founded after 1990. All the old ones are Slavic. Among all currently functioning monasteries, the oldest Greek Orthodox monastic community was founded only in 1983. If you put ALL THE MONASTICS in the US together you get 512. The average monastery has 7 people. Greek monasteries are by far the largest. In services the OCA monasteries speak the most English (83%). The Greeks speak English the least (11%). 50% of the monasteries in the US are English speaking. 73% of US monasteries use email. 51 out of 71 monasteries have a website. Old calendar to New is essentially even. All US monasteries combined own 5,806 acres of land (largest Jordanville with 700 acres). ( AOB ) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America has released a new research report,...

A man has interrupted the consecration of the Church of England's first female bishop. The unidentified man said that "it was not in the Bible", when Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu asked the congregation if it was their will that Mrs Lane should be ordained. The man asked to speak to Dr Sentamu about the "absolute impediment" before walking off.

Lamentable. Shocking. Thanks to the Internet, there will be a record of this forever. If you cannot commune people properly, do not commune them. The Catholic Church has other services that might have been more reasonable for 7 million people.

RAMALLAH, West Bank ( Al-Monitor ) — The Greek Orthodox Church in Palestine and Jordan is witnessing a movement akin to an intifada against Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan over actions that organizers of the movement call “racist and wasteful.” On Dec. 27, the executive committee of the Arab Central Orthodox Council in Palestine and Jordan began a campaign against the patriarch, coinciding with his participation in Christmas celebrations. A number of protesters raised banners that read “unworthy” during sit-ins and marches organized in Bethlehem on Jan. 6 and posted “Theophilos is unworthy” on social networking sites. You can see more of a few of these declarations of Anaxios in videos on Youtube. Movement organizers accuse the patriarch of “diverting church lands to Israel and making unfair decisions against Arab monks,” the latest being the removal from office of Archimandrite Christophoros and the reduction of the salaries of Archbishop Atallah Hann...

From the blog Classical Christianity ... Special items of the hierarchical service are the dikerion and the trikerion. These are two hand-held, ornamental candlesticks in which two (dikerion) or three (trikerion) candles are placed. The use of the dikerion and trikerion at the patriarchal liturgy began in the twelfth century. [1] Originally these candlesticks were ascribed only to kings and patriarchs (and not to all bishops) as they were perceived as attributes reflecting the dignity of teaching. This is mentioned in the twelfth century by Theodore Balsamon, the patriarch of Antioch, who insisted that the right to bless the faithful with candlesticks belonged to kings, patriarchs, autocephalous archbishops of Bulgaria and Cyprus, and also a few metropolitans to whom the kings had given this right. [2] You see a similar broadening of use to lower ranks with the mitre and the use of a mitre with a cross atop it. Later the dikerion and trikerion came to be used by all hierarchs a...

( The Moscow Times ) - Two members of an art collective were detained for flinging holy water at the Moscow mausoleum containing Vladimir Lenin's corpse, in an apparent bid to resurrect the revolutionary leader. In video footage of the incident published by news site Grani.ru, artists Oleg Basov and Yevgeny Avilov can be seen emerging from a nearby church and approaching the mausoleum with two bottles of water labeled with crucifixes. Basov and Avilov, members of the art collective Blue Horseman, then managed to bypass a security gate before flinging holy water at the walls of the mausoleum while chanting “Arise and be gone!” Their performance, entitled “The Exorcist: Desecration of the Mausoleum” took place on Monday, when Orthodox Christians celebrated Epiphany — a religious holiday marking the baptism of Jesus. The two men were soon apprehended and taken to a nearby police station, where they were detained overnight, police monitoring site OVD-Info reported. Basov an...

( Pravmir ) - Pornography camouflages itself as something unreal, virtual, something that is one’s private business, something that does not hurt anyone. Our culture tells us that we are free to do whatever we want, as long as it does not hurt anyone. According to surveys, nearly one third of Orthodox Christian teens are unsure whether pornography is right or wrong.[1] This is approximately the same number as that of teens who are unsure whether premarital sex is right or wrong.[2] This is very telling in two ways. First, teens who are unsure about premarital sex are probably also unsure about pornography. And second, while the Church makes its position very clear – premarital sex and pornography are wrong – it needs to do a better job of explaining why. In this short paper, I would like to step away from the words ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ After all, Christ did not come to bring us laws and legislations. Sins are not right or wrong because someone issued a regulation. Instead, I would...

I've been following the development of this catechism on this blog for years. It looks like we're close now. ( mospat.ru ) - On 20 January 2015, a plenary session of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission in its new composition, approved by the Holy Synod at its meeting on 25-26 December 2013 (Minutes #159), took place at the Department for External Church Relations under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. Taking part in the session were Metropolitan Avgustin of Belaya Tserkov and Boguslav, chairman of the Theological and Canonical Commission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Yevgeny of Vereya, chairman of the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, rector of the Moscow Theological Academy; Bishop Amvrosy of Petergof, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Bishop Kliment of Irpen, chairman of the Education Committee of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR vice-chairman; archpriest...

SKOPJE ( B92 ) - The Macedonian Appellate Court confirmed the first instance ruling against Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan Vraniskovski. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment on charges for embezzlement of EUR 250,000. The Appellate Court also confirmed the probation for 18 followers of Archbishop Jovan, including his mother and sister, on charges of aiding the embezzlement, Macedonian media reported on Thursday. The second instance court previously denied the appeal by Metropolitan Jovan as unfounded and found him guilty of embezzlement of funds which he used to purchase land in Ohrid during his mandate as the bishop of the non-recognised Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC). Reports of Macedonian media state that the decision of the Appellate Court is crucial for further talks with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) on canonical recognition of MPC. Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid was sentenced in Skopje on July 2, 2013 to three years of imprisonment an...

( NLM ) - It was announced yesterday on the Bulletin of the Holy See (see here ) that the Holy Father has erected the Eritrean Catholic Church to sui juris status as a Metropolitan Church, separating its territory from that of the Archeparchy of Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia). The 23rd sui juris Church, which follows the Alexandrian liturgical tradition, will comprise four eparchies, covering the entire territory of the nation of Eritrea: the Archeparchy of Asmara, seat of the new Metropolitan and the national capital, and the Eparchies of Barentu, Keren and Segheneity. The Pope has nominated as the first Metropolitan His Excellency Mons. Menghesteab Tesfamariam, who has served hitherto as the Eparch of Asmara. In 1995, the Latin Rite Apostolic Vicariate of Eritrea was abolished, and so the Latin Rite Catholics of Eritrea are also under the spiritual jurisdiction of the new Metropolitan and his suffragans. The Pope has also created a fourth eparchy of the Ethiopian Catholic C...

( SF Orthodox Institute ) - The Sts. Cyril & Athanasius Institute is pleased to announce its fourth set of regional symposia, on the theme of The City a Desert: Living the Life of the Desert in the Midst of the World , to take place both in Southern California (Riverside, near LA) from 7th-8th February, and in Northern California (San Francisco) from 14th-15th February 2015. St. Athanasius the Great, one of our Institute's patrons, famously wrote of the young monastic movement: "And the desert became a city, filled with monks." So great was this avenue of spiritual life that it gave rise to giants of asceticism, hesychasm and prayer that have remained central to the Orthodox Christian life for centuries. But what of Christians who live in that very different sort of "desert": the city? Is there hope for such spiritual progress for those who live in the midst of the world? This fourth suite of regional February symposia will address the way that "t...

( RISU ) - Funerals of Artyom, 4 years old, killed by shelling on Sunday. Rebel artillery moving around and shooting from the cemetery.

Orthodox Walk for Life January 23-25, 2015 in San Francisco, CA

( AOB ) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops will send a delegation to the annual March for Life, Thursday, January 22, 2015 in Washington, DC. The date marks the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Metropolitan Methodios will lead the delegation. He will be joined by Metropolitan Tikhon, Bishop Michael, and Bishop Demetrios Mokissos. Metropolitan Tikhon will deliver the invocation at the annual Rose Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington DC on the evening of the 22nd. On the evening before the March, Metropolitan Methodios will attend the National Prayer Vigil for Life at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The rally begins at noon on the National Mall at 12th Street. Orthodox Christian marchers will gather to the right of the stage under the “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner and signs. The march begins at 1 PM and processes down Constitution Avenue to the US Supreme ...

( OCA ) - Archimandrite Daniel [Brum] will be consecrated to the episcopacy at historic Holy Trinity Cathedral here January 23-24, 2015. On October 21, 2014, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America elected Father Daniel to serve as Auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West. On Friday evening, January 23, Vespers will be celebrated in conjunction with Archimandrite Daniel’s Nomination and Acceptance at 6:00 p.m. A reception will follow. The Divine Liturgy and Consecration of Archimandrite Daniel as Bishop of Santa Rosa will be celebrated on Saturday, January 24 at 9:30 a.m. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, will preside. His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West and other members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America will concelebrate. The Consecration Banquet will follow at McCormick and Kuleto’s Seafood and Steaks, San Francisco. The newly consecrated Bishop will ce...

Blowing each other up is not a very good tool for conversion. God loves every man born to this earth and killing another man is not a morally neutral act. This video shows a better path - engaging in respectful apologetics. If you want to see the entire talk, it can be viewed here .

( OMHKSEA ) - Biblical numerology is a topic discussed in theological literature, where several opinions exist regarding the symbolic use of numbers. Numerical symbolism was originally taught by the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, according to whom “all things are fittingly ordered according to the nature of numbers; [number is the eternal essence; God is number; number is God]”. The Pythagorian theories have influenced many philosophers (the neo-Pythagorians) and many Christian thinkers, among whom can be found both heretical Gnostics and orthodox Church Fathers. The Gnostics seek out hidden metaphysical truths in the essence of numbers, using them in a mystical way. St. Irenaeus condemns this tendency stating that it has no place in Christian exegesis. He writes: “[The Gnostics] endeavor to bring forward proof [of their system] through means of numbers, and the syllables of names, sometimes also through the letter of syllables, and yet again through those numbers, which are, accord...

Earlier this month I flew across the country and saw some consistently rude and impatient behavior. Sometimes it was the airline getting yelled at for "making me miss my connection," sometimes it was the airline arguing with an elderly man about boarding priority, it was the man who made the over-the-top exasperated face when the child behind him inadvertently jostled his seat, or when a man walked into a woman only to get a dressing down from that woman like I haven't seen since elementary school. In general, people were acting like brats. Now imagine you get four thousand phone calls in a week from someone. You find the person who does it. Then, instead of going for blood, you give him a gift and wish him well.

( Ecumenical Patriarchate ) - The Holy and Sacred Synod convened today, Tuesday, January 13, 2015, with His All-Holiness presiding for its regular monthly meeting, for the purpose of examining various items on its agenda. During this session, the Holy and Sacred Synod: a) unanimously accepted the proposal of the Canonical Committee to incorporate the monk Paisios of Mt. Athos into the registry of the Saints of the Orthodox Church; b) at the proposal of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, unanimously elected Archimandrite Irenaios Avramides of the Metropolis of France as its new Auxiliary Bishop to serve under His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France with the title Bishop of Rhegion. - Chief Secretariat of the Holy & Sacred Synod At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 13th of January, 2015

CHICAGO, IL ( OCA-DMW ) — His Grace, Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest, will deliver the opening prayer at the 10th Anniversary “March For Life Chicago” on Sunday, January 18, 2015. At 2:00 p.m., an anticipated 3,000 marchers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana will gather at Federal Plaza, 50 West Adams, Chicago. After the opening prayer and additional presentations by a number of noted religious and civic leaders, including Roman Catholic Archbishop Blasé Cupich, they will make their way north to the James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, where the program will conclude at 4:00 p.m. Others who will share perspectives on the pro-life stand against abortion and call for an end to abortion in Illinois include Congressmen Dan Lipinski and Peter Roskam and multi-generation advocate families. The notable line-up of speakers will mark with sadness the January 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the US, including former Planned Parenthood clinic director A...

( CNS ) - The Vatican has overturned a ruling by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, lifting the suspension of Chaldean priests who fled Iraq after the Islamic State came to power. The Chaldean Patriarch had ordered all of his priests to return to their parishes, unless they had received explicit permission to leave. He reasoned that priests should serve their people even when their ministry puts them in danger. Chaldean Catholics in San Diego, California, appealed to the Vatican, and won a ruling in favor of Father Noel Gorgis, who is now serving in a parish there. The ruling allowed Father Gorgis to remain in California and continue his priestly ministry. The same ruling applies to other Chaldean priests who faced suspension because of the Patriarch’s order.

Blog-o-parernity leave of sorts ongoing. Lots of posts queued up. Thanks for understanding.

Because, as we all know, driving in parades is what being a firefighter is all about. Also, if a gay pride parade is free speech, how is demanding people who don't want to participate in the parade not a violation of their free speech? PROVIDENCE, R.I. ( Fox News ) – The Rhode Island Supreme Court has thrown out lawsuits by two Providence firefighters who said their constitutional rights were violated when they were ordered to drive a truck in a gay pride parade. The firefighters, Theodore Fabrizio and Stephen Deninno, argued that they are Roman Catholics and therefore do not support or condone homosexuality. Writing for the high court this month, Justice William Robinson said that the men appeared in the 2001 parade as public servants, and that did not constitute a form of expression. He said it was a legitimate work assignment. The city had argued that the city sent trucks to various parades as a matter of course, including the Columbus Day parade, Purim parade and othe...

ALEPPO, Syria ( A.W. ) — Terrorists on Jan. 9 reportedly bombed the Armenian Catholic Cathedral Our Lady of Pity (also known as St. Rita), located next to the Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo, leaving the church partly destroyed. No casualties were reported. Bishop Mikael Mouradian, Armenian Catholic Eparch of the U.S. and Canada, spoke with Aleppo-based Rev. Fr. Krikor Milad, who recounted how the bombing took place at around 5:30 a.m., while everyone slept. The Eparchy windows and doors blew open, as dust rushed in. Father Milad, who stays in the Eparchy building, sprung out of bed and rushed to the church next door to make sure there was no fire. Although part of the dome had collapsed, there were no casualties. “If the bombing had taken place just two hours later, the church would have been full of worshippers,” Bishop Mouradian told the Armenian Weekly, noting that a special Mass was going to be held that day at 7 a.m. for Saint Rita, with the participation of the ...

( Ahram Online ) - The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Mathias I will visit Egypt for the first time on Saturday, the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church announced Monday. The six-day visit came after an invitation from Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, Al-Ahram daily reported. The Egyptian and Ethiopian churches are seen to have played a role in the negotiations between both countries regarding the Grand Renaissance Dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, which Cairo is concerned could have an adverse effect on Egypt's water supply. The Ethiopian church was formerly an archdiocese of the Church of Alexandria but became autonomous in the twentieth century. Ramsis El-Nagar, legal consultant to the Coptic Orthodox Church, affirmed the ties between both churches are very strong on a religious level, stronger than their political role. An Ethiopian people's delegation visited Egypt on 16 December for four days where they met officials, religious f...

I was blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel to San Diego and attend Nativity Vigil at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church . The parish was packed as you might expect and was served by three priests and a deacon. The service was celebrated in about 10% English, but as I'm familiar with the service it was easy to follow. Amusingly, the woman standing next to me thought I was joking when I told her I spoke no Serbian and then grew concerned as to why I was there at all. This is a pretty standard response when I visit churches while traveling. After the vigil there was Badnjak (you can read about it here ) followed by a communal meal complete with Serbian tea (see here ). I quite enjoyed my visit and hope to make another one in the future.

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( RBTH ) - Priest Sergei Smirnov in one of the rural churches in Voronezh region. His sons come running at the sound of the church bells. As a schoolboy and a student of economics, Father Sergei often visited monasteries with his father. These trips, plus the contact he had with the monks, influenced Sergei's decision to enter the Voronezh Orthodox Theological Seminary after graduation. He is presently a member of the clergy of the Voronezh diocese.

( RBTH ) - Nikolaevsk Belogorsk Monastery, Perm Territory. Located in the Ural Mountains, where schismatics, serfs, and robbers fled to escape repression and persecution. The monastery was founded in 1897 for Old Believers to perform missionary work. Restored in 1990. In the photo, hieromonk Alipi talks to an inhabitant of the monastery near the holy spring of St. Nikolai the Miracle-Worker.

( B92 ) - The Serbian Orthodox Church will on Thursday launch its television station, TV Hram ("TV Temple"), that will be available only online. This will coincide with the Christmas holiday period, marked in Serbia according to the Julian calendar, on January 7. The Church already operates 15 radio stations, the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti writes. The first program the TV station will broadcast will be an interview with Serbian Patriarch Irinej, who has given his blessing for the project, the newspaper reported. The Patriarchy's managing office director and editor-in-chief of television production, Stojadin Pavolovic, says the new outlet will cooperate with electronic and print media from Serbia, Montenegro, and the Serb Republic. TV Hram has already reached agreement on cooperation with Russian television stations Solyuz and Spas, and stations run by the Greek Orthodox Church. "Beside the Church-related topics, we intend to present, in the be...

H/T: Creative Minority Report

( orthodox.cn ) - On December 9, 2014 in the Khabarovsk church in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, on the parish's feast day, Metropolitan Ignaty of Khabarovsk and Amur ordained to the priesthood Anatoly Kung (Kung Cheung Ming, 龔長明). It's an exciting day for anyone embarking on the path of priesthood. But one feature adds another weight to the item: for the first time in 60 years, a priest whose native language is Chinese was ordained. After his ordination Father Anatoly will serve the parish of SS. Peter and Paul in Hong Kong (PRC): to be the missionary catechist, primarily to the Chinese in Hong Kong. Before his ordination Father Anatoly answered a few questions. "Orthodoxy is not a very widespread religion in your home country. Tell me how Russian Orthodox Church came there?" 'The Orthodox Church exists and lives not only in Russia, but for every person in this world. When I lived in Russia, it was then that I began to learn Orthodoxy.' ...

Post by Ι.Ναός Κοιμήσεως Θεοτόκου Αχαρνών .

( Al Arabiya ) - Turkey’s Islamic-rooted government has authorized the building of the first church in the country since the end of the Ottoman empire in 1923, AFP has learned. The church is for the country’s tiny Syriac community and will be built in the Istanbul suburb of Yesilkoy on the shores of the Sea of Marmara, which already has Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches. “It is the first since the creation of the republic,” a government source told AFP Saturday. “Churches have been restored and reopened to the public, but no new church has been built until now,” he added. Turkey, which once had large Christian minorities, is now 99 percent Muslim, and critics of the ruling party AKP have accused it of trying to Islamicize its officially secular society. However, as part of its bid to join the European Union Amlara has made efforts to widen minority rights and return some seized property and restore churches, monasteries and synagogues. The country’s ancient Sy...