Source: The National Herald CONSTANTINOPLE – The Ecumenical Patriarchate on Friday thanked the Prefect of Trebzon for signing the written permit for the Patriarchal liturgy at the historic Monastery of Panaghia Soumela on August 15, feast day for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. In its statement on Friday, the Ecumenical Patriarchate said it received the permit in writing on the day, thanking both the signatory and Turkish government authorities. It is noted that initially Turkish authorities had refused permission, but approval was first issued late last month. The Panaghia Soumela Monastery is located high in the Pontic Mountains and…
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Source: Greek City Times by GCT The Great Church of Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, is a living monument to the glory of our Orthodox Christian Faith and a visible symbol of all that is best in the worship and liturgy of our Church,” said Archbishop Elpidophoros of America in the Archepiscopal Encyclical on the Day of Mourning for Hagia Sophia. He added, “Its seizure and second conversion to use as a mosque, on July 24, 2020, is a day of mourning for all Orthodox Christian People, as well as for all people of religious conviction.” “Three years later, we continue to…
Source: International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) IOCC is in touch with partners in Syria (shown here during initial emergency action) and Turkey as we assess needs and identify an appropriate response to the devastating earthquake. (Photo: GOPA-DERD) Upon hearing news of the early-morning earthquake on February 6, 2023, the hearts of IOCC’s staff went out to all those affected. We then got in touch with partners in and around the affected regions. Our local partners in Syria have indicated that basic needs (like food, bedding, and clothing) are most pressing right now. As we assess needs of those displaced by…
Source: Hellenic American Leadership Council The Russian Orthodox Church said this week that it was considering establishing an exarchate in Turkey, as it has just done in Africa, further deepening the schism between the Moscow and the Ecumenical Patriarchate that opened up following the decision by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant the Ukrainian Orthodox Church autocephaly. Professor Phil Dorroll joins The Greek Current to analyze these moves by Russia, explain why a move to establish a Russian exarchate in Turkey would do incredible damage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox community, and provide a broader look into Moscow’s…
Source: Orthodox Times Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave an interview to MEGA channel. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the persecutions the Greeks are still subjected to in Turkey, called on the people to be vaccinated “without reservation,” presented his museum in his birthplace, Imbros, spoke about the future of Orthodoxy in the USA but also about the natural disasters caused by the climate change. “The suspension of the operation of the Greek Diaspora schools was what affected us the most” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about the persecutions of the Greeks of Imbros in an interview. “When I was a student in…
Source: Halki Summit IV COVID-19 has lowered global carbon emissions, but it hasn’t slowed climate change. Our response to COVID-19 has precipitated the discovery of a vaccine, but it has left the world with a staggering number of deaths. The pandemic of Covid-19 has permanently affected our planet and altered our lives. The world has wrestled to survive and learned to live with the coronavirus. But what are the lessons that we have learned? What has been the impact on nature and the environment? What have been the implications for healthcare? And what have we understood about the relevance and…
Source: Halki Summit A series of three webinars. January 26–28, 2021, 8:00 – 9:30 pm (EST). COVID-19 has lowered global carbon emissions; but it hasn’t slowed climate change. Our response to COVID-19 has precipitated the discovery of a vaccine; but it has left the world with a staggering number of deaths. The pandemic has permanently affected our planet and altered our lives; but what are the lessons that we have learned? What has been the impact on nature and the environment? What have been the implications for healthcare? And what have we understood about the relevance and importance of science?…
Source: The Wall Street Journal Covid restrictions are mild compared with what many of the faithful endure. By Timothy Dolan and Toufic Baaklini For the first time in their lives, millions of Americans have been ordered by their government not to attend church. For millions of persecuted Christians across the globe, this is the only reality they know. The theme of persecution lies at the heart of the Christmas story. The Holy Family were forced to flee their native land due to state-sponsored oppression. As citizens of a global superpower whose lawmakers are responsive to their citizens, we are called to stand in…
Source: Orthodox Observer Archdiocese petitions United Nations over its conversion of UNESCO World Heritage Sites into Mosques NEW YORK, September 29, 2020 – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced today that it is petitioning the United Nations Experts to hold the Republic of Turkey accountable for its deliberate policies to erase the cultural heritage of Orthodox Christians. This petition rebukes the recent unilateral decision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to reconvert United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (“UNESCO”) World Heritage Sites, Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”), into a mosque. Commenting on the petition, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America said: “Turkey’s reconversion…
Source: Pappas Post written by Gregory Pappas A historic 215,000-square foot wooden building on the island of Prinkipos (Büyükada in Turkish) off the coast of Istanbul has collapsed, according to photos posted on Twitter. The structure, which belonged to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, was the largest wooden building in Europe and second largest in the world. It served as an orphanage from 1903 to 1964, providing services to thousands of children, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. The building had fallen into disrepair and needed millions of euros to refurbish. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had requested time to transform the structure into a…
Source: Council on Foreign Relations from Religion and Foreign Policy Conference Calls Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at CFR, Azza Karam, secretary general of Religions for Peace International, and Elizabeth H. Prodromou, visiting associate professor of conflict resolution at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, discuss the conversion of the Hagia Sophia back to a mosque. Mark D. W. Edington, bishop in charge of the convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, moderates. Speakers Steven A. Cook Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies,…
Source: Ahval News Taner Akçam Originally published on July 13, 2020 Basically, the whole Hagia Sophia affair can be summed up with the phrases “improper” or “a shame”. But I think that the audience whom I am addressing do not possess the cultural delicacy to find these words meaningful. For their sakes, it would better to formulate it in a frank manner that they could more easily understand: the deed that is being performed in regard to Hagia Sophia is a clear show of barbarism. It is a declaration of a “Turkish lack of culture and destructiveness” to the entire…