The Archbishop of Westminster is among the church leaders who today added their voice to those protesting at the change to the status of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Earlier this week, Pope Francis said he himself was “very saddened”, or “pained”, about Turkey’s planned reconversion of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque. Other church leaders have also criticised the decision.
They said: “For a long period of time Hagia Sophia has been a unique centre symbolising a co-existence of people of faith. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site and, as a place where the rich history of Istanbul is told visually, can be a living example of religious tolerance and respect. The decision to alter the status quo in this way is a powerful, symbolic change that is lamentable and painful for many people of faith the world over.”
Churches Together in England (CTE) is the national ecumenical instrument supporting and encouraging churches from a wide range of traditions to work together in unity and brings together 50 Member Churches from many diverse traditions.
The other signatories to the statement are the Rev Dr Hugh Osgood, Free Churches Moderator, Archbishop Angaelos of London, Archbishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London and Pastor Agu Irukwu, head of Redeemed Christian Church of God UK.
Pope Francis, in his comments on Sunday, used the Italian word “addolorato” which can also be translated as “pained” or “distressed”.
It was the first time the Pope has commented about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to turn Hagia Sophia – built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian Cathedral – back into a Mosque. The cathedral became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453, but has been a museum since 1934. Erdogan's decree directs the sixth-century landmark, a major expression of Christianity, to be opened to Muslim prayers from 24 July.
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