The tragic saga of the Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque by the now unabashedly Islamist government of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued this week, with his spokesman over the weekend confirming that heavy curtains will cover the glorious frescoes and mosaics of the 6th century Orthodox Cathedral during Muslim prayers. Work is…

Invited by King Felipe VI, His Grace Bishop Timotei of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal attended a ceremony at Madrid’s Royal Palace in memory of the almost 30,000 people who have died from the coronavirus pandemic in the country on Thursday. Tributes were paid to the victims of COVID-19, as well as…

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday signed the decree proclaiming August 16 as National Day of Remembrance of the Brancoveanu Martyrs and of Awareness of Violence against Christians. This new National Day aims to inform the public, including young people, about the role of Christianity in the history of Romania and the ongoing nature and extent…

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America on Thursday posted on social media to thank former US Vice President Biden for expressing his support on the Hagia Sophia issue. On Twitter, he wrote: “I was grateful to receive a call from (former) Vice-President Joe Biden, expressing his support of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, and his solidarity with our cause…

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni was strongly critical of the decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque while speaking in parliament on Friday, noting that the Greek government’s position had been clearly stated on all levels and accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of pursuing a personal political agenda when he changed the status of…

Podgorica, Montenegro (19 July 2020) — Prime Minister Duško Marković called on the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and other dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Montenegro, to continue talks on the Law on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities. “The Government’s Team for negotiations on…

Press Release No: 20/14 15 July 2020 Brussels The Conference of European Churches (CEC) has witnessed the recent decision of Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque with deep regret. The regional ecumenical organisation, representing 114 Member Churches across Europe, many of them Orthodox churches, raised its concern last week with the European Institutions and UNESCO,…

Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology strongly protests the decision of the Turkish government to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. This decision strikes at the core of religious and cultural sensitivities and identities, and we are opposed to it on moral, ethical, cultural, and religious-freedom grounds. The history of the edifice…

On Tuesday the 14th of July 2020, ACOY NSW held its first face-to-face meeting since the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions. Held in the new Antiochian Youth Centre, we were joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios and our Clerical Advisor, Father Nabil, as we discussed future plans for the youth of our Archdiocese. A major talking…