Primate of UOC speaks about his attitude to altered Hagia Sophia’s status
Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: news.church.ua
The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, said that he has a negative attitude to the conversion of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
“This is a Christian church, and it should belong to those who built it,” said the Primate of the UOC, answering a question from journalists of the Pavlovsky News project. "But Turkey is a different state, it has different laws, different rules."
He added that the Church is praying for the return of Hagia Sophia.
“We do not seize mosques and expect no one to seize our temples either," His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry summed up.
As a reminder, on July 10, 2020, the Turkish State Council cancelled the government decree granting the status of a museum to Hagia Sophia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the resumption of Muslim worship in Hagia Sophia and on July 24, the first Friday prayer in 86 years was held in the Cathedral.
Read also
Ukraine now allows matronymics alongside patronymics
Ukrainian legislation has allowed people to change their patronymic since 2021, including replacing the father's name with the mother's name.
Kharkiv's gay community announces LGBT march
At the pride march in Kharkiv, participants will demand the legalization of same-sex marriages in Ukraine.
Ukrainians criticize official who called pilgrimage to Pochaiv "horrifying"
Threads users did not support the head of the "Ancient Kyiv" Reserve, Roman Malenkov, who called the UOC pilgrimage "a horrifying horror."
Metropolitan Alexiy of Voznesensk consecrates chapel in Velyka Solona
The ruling bishop of the Voznesensk Eparchy performed the consecration of the Chapel of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia.
UOC draws 7 times more worshippers than OCU in Kerstentsi on Transfiguration
More than 300 faithful attended the UOC parish’s patronal feast in Kerstentsi.
Sybiha invites Putin to take Dmitry Donskoy’s place in sarcophagus
Ukraine’s foreign minister commented on reports that part of the relics of Holy Prince Dmitry Donskoy could be sent to Russian troops.