The gloomy anniversary of the conversion of the Great Church of the God of Wisdom into a mosque, without any real reason, is pointed out in a pastoral and archbishopric circular issued by the Archbishop of America Elpidoforos.
"The day is bleak, he stressed, not only for Orthodox Christians, but also for all people who perceive with sobriety and impartiality that the Hagia Sophia It is not just a sacred place for all Orthodox Christians, but a unique symbol that characterizes our faith and our culture and which as a cultural monument could continue to function as a museum with respect for the history and sanctity of the place.
However, he points out, in a city with many places dedicated to Islamic worship, its conversion into an Islamic mosque was used to send a message to the religious minorities of the country, watering the tree of nationalism ".
"For this reason, concludes the Archbishop of America, we mourn not only today but also every day until justice is done for the Great Church. Hagia Sophia, which is the diamond handed down to us by Byzantine Civilization, could remain a place of dialogue between cultures and religions, as every culture and every religion deserves our respect. And, if, however, its cult character had to be restored, then surely it should be identified with the original purpose of its construction ".
According to Archbishop Elpidoforos, "until our prayers are heard, we must intensify our efforts by helping in every way the Great Church of Christ, our Ecumenical Patriarchate."
Source RES-EIA
in.gr