ROC regrets Turkey didn’t hear millions of Christians’ concerns over Sophia

Hagia Sophia’s interior in Istanbul. Photo: tui-ukraine.livejournal.com

On July 10, 2020, head of the Department for the Church's Relations with Society and the Media Vladimir Legoyda expressed regret over the decision of the Turkish authorities to change Hagia Sophia’s status from a museum to a mosque, reports "Interfax-Religion”.

Vladimir Legoyda said: "It has to be stated that the concerns of millions of Christians were not heard.”

According to him, "of course, there is still an approval by (Turkish President – Ed.) Erdogan, but today's court decision shows that all calls for extreme sensitivity in this matter have been ignored”.

As reported earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque.

 

Read also

Hasidic pilgrims leave mountains of trash in Uman after Rosh Hashanah

Uman’s municipal services are struggling to clear residential neighborhoods after the Hasidic pilgrimage.

Montenegrin priest condemns Ukrainian authorities for persecution of UOC

Archpriest Slobodan Zeković said the Ukrainian authorities are persecuting the UOC.

Zelensky named among world’s most influential Jews

The Ukrainian president ranked 21st in The Jerusalem Post’s annual list, topped this year by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

UOC believers in Rivne region hold procession to Derman monastery

About 500 pilgrims walked to the Holy Trinity Monastery in the Rivne region on the feast day of St. Hierotheus of Ostroh.

Pilgrims from UOC’s Khust Eparchy meet Patriarch Theophilos in Jerusalem

A group of UOC faithful from Zakarpattia visited the holy sites of the Holy Land and received the archpastoral blessing of the Primate of the Jerusalem Church.

UOC parishioners at Kyiv’s Demiivka church defend their rights in court

The rector of the Demiivka parish said documents relating to the church had been falsified and asked for prayers ahead of the second court hearing.