(ROC) - At its session held on July 16-17, 2020, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a statement concerning the decision of Turkey’s authorities to change the status of Hagia Sophia. The text of the statement is given below.The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church expresses its profound regret over the decision of the state leadership of Turkey to revoke the museum status of Hagia Sophia and to give it to the Muslim community for public worship.The decision was taken with no regard for the petitions and explicit position of the Primates and hierarchs of the Orthodox Local Churches, representatives of foreign states, numerous international non-governmental and human rights organisations, and clerics of various confessions and religious traditions. It has hurt religious feelings of millions of Christians all over the world, which can cause disturbance of interfaith balance and impair mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims both in and beyond Turkey.At a time when Christianity is being persecuted in many places on the planet and the exodus of Christians from the countries of the Middle East continues, this decision of the Turkish authorities inflicts particular pain. Hagia Sophia was built in honour of Christ the Saviour, remaining a church in the consciousness of millions of Christians. And to the Orthodox Church this cathedral is of special historical and spiritual importance.Appealing to the brotherly Local Churches, we note with great sadness that this dismal event has found the Orthodox world divided, as a direct consequence of the uncanonical legalisation of the schism in Ukraine, which weakened our ability to oppose together new spiritual threats and civilisational challenges. Now, at a time of growing Christianophobia and increasing pressure on the Church from the secular society, unity is needed more than ever. We call upon the brotherly Local Churches to work together in the spirit of peace and love in Christ in order to seek ways to overcome the crisis.We hope that the Turkish authorities will take necessary steps to preserve the priceless Christian mosaics which have miraculously survived to this day and will ensure access to them for Christian pilgrims.Expressing our hope for further promotion and strengthening of mutual respect and understanding between believers of various world religions, we also call upon the world community to render all possible assistance in maintaining the special status of Hagia Sophia, which is of timeless importance to all Christians.
Friday, July 17, 2020
Russian Church links Ukraine to Hagia Sophia problem
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
"... we note with great sadness that this dismal event has found the Orthodox world divided, as a direct consequence of the uncanonical legalisation of the schism in Ukraine, which weakened our ability to oppose together new spiritual threats and civilisational challenges..."
ReplyDeleteI had to reach down and scrape off all the smelly bull S%^! after stepping into that sentence.
Call it whatever you like but the fact is that Bart alienated his only really powerful ally that could (had and did previously) prevent what our man Recep just did. To think Pompeo, Pyatt and that blithering idiot living on Penn. Ave in DC would or could muster a meaningful defense of any of the Ecumenical Throne’s prerogatives is foolhardy.
DeleteThe Ukraine confab is a finger in the eye of Putin but a knife in the side of the Russian Orthodox Church. Bart made his bed with the postchristian Republican Party and career mandarin diplomats working an agenda in which he plays a very small role. How sad that man must be today, and with such fleas.
Nah, this goes way back. The explanation that the post 1920 EPatriarchate is sold down the river of western liberal (classical liberal) polity in whatever form (neo-conservative republicans today, conservative democrats the day before yesterday) does not reach deep enough - it's just the surface and present circumstances of the much older/deeper problem this Church of the East has around Unam Sanctam.
DeleteHow very Christian of you Jake.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's "popular" (to choose a word) to emphasize other Christian virtues such as equability, patience, tolerance. Calling bull manure bull manure is to little appreciated among Christians these days...
Deletehow true that statement is,, it is the reality we all bear - it is he shame we all bear- instead of following the techings of our Lord and Savior we quarrel and quibble amongst ourselves. we create division, We criticize each other, we allow our ethnic politics to replace the chrisitanianty we need to follow. We criticie the others that came to our aid and advocate for us - the pope and the wcc. We are the laughing stock of the religious community. We put on such an externality of purity and holiness which is built on a internal vacuum. It is embarrrassing that we cannot play together in the sand box. Our leaders quibble, or laity quibble, our clergy quibble -- why is this so?
ReplyDeletewhere is the christian love, charity, humbleness, and brotherhood that we give lip service to. Perhps this all is happening because we have squandered the gifts that have been given to us. we are divided, we are weak, were are jealous of each other, insensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters, and we allow our egos to rule instead of our hearts.
we need to come together, we need to speak with one voice, we need to have a positive image to the world we say we are seeking to save. yeah right we are seeking to save the world, while the world is saving us. just does not pass the sanity test at all. just how many splinter groups do we have out there - canonical and quasi canonical? how many ethnic groups do we functioning out there? the view that we are one eastern orthodox christian church is a myth and in reality it is not what we as believing christians are charged to do. this sitution is a wake up call,, so what are we going to do to address it? more of the usual polemics, excuses and perhaps another division? this is tragic, purely tragic, God save us all!
The Hagia Sophia is no longer a Cathedral because it no longer houses the bishop's throne or the Sacraments. The Turks can do whatever they want with that building. Lesson learned: Islam is intolerant and absolutist and you shouldn't let it in your country. Surely we're not just now finding this out.
ReplyDeleteThe MP will continue to mention the Ukraine issue, whenever a situation allows, until the situation is either "normalized" or "corrected" in Ukraine. Looking at past differences between Patriarchates, it may take a few decades. In the meantime, even a "united" Orthodox Church could do nothing to change the status of the Hagia Sophia. It had been a mosque for almost 500 years and is returning to that status. Sad, but true. No country is going to impose sanctions to have this overturned. The Byzantine Christian empire lost the war in 1453
ReplyDeleteAmen, until the Lord has the final word. Let us wait upon His Arrival.
ReplyDeleteThat is the fallicy of our perspective,,,,we love to wait,,,Jesus did not wait,he turned over the money changers tables,,,,he acted to make a difference,,,and yet let us wait upon his arrival. If we do not work to change ourselves, if we don't work to bring Christianity as espoused in the new testament back into our churches and dioceses, we should tremble in our shoes regarding his coming. We have been given the ability, the knowledge, the prescription as how to be proactive and Christian. And this all does not involve the verb wait. What if st Paul waited, or st Andrew or St Thomas? Have we no faith in the message and it's implementation ?
ReplyDelete