Posted on 10/11/2005 10:31:27 PM PDT by MarMema
If you believe in the just case that Hagia Sophia should be restored to its proper religious role as a church, for which it was built in the first place, then we ask you to support our petition to the EU Parliament that Turkey should not be admitted as a member of the European Community until it restores Hagia Sophia to its original purpose as a church and not a museum.
We need a minimum of 1.000.000 signatures in order to force the European Union to consider this proposal seriously and debate it immediately as one of the conditions to allow Turkey to be admitted as a new member of the EU.
As you know, Turkey is doing everything it can today to convince the European Union that it is a worthy country to join it. If you agree with us that Turkey should not be admitted to the EU before restoring justice to Hagia Sophia, please click on "Your Signature" and send us your message.
We would be grateful if you could also tell your friends about this site and its purpose.
Angeliki Papagika and partners
(Excerpt) Read more at hagiasophiablog.com ...
Click here to sign the petition.
ping
Next year in Constantinople ping.
"Swiss scholars want famous church returned before Turkey joins EU"
Return Hagia Sophia.
And then the rest of Constantinople.
And then Adrianople and the rest of Thrace.
And then Chalcedon, Trebizond, Smyrna, Ephesus, Antioch, and the rest of Anatolia.
And go back to Central Asia.
To the Powers of Christian Europe:
Time to do what should have been done after the Battle of Lepanto.
Already signed it.
Just one question: To whom should Hagia Sofia be returned?
Related thread below.
Thanks for reminding us Marmema.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1442899/posts
Just one question: To whom should Hagia Sofia be returned?
Can you elaborate? Return it to the MP? Create a "Hagia Sofia Parish"? Other?
Can you elaborate? Return it to the MP? Create a "Hagia Sofia Parish"? Other?
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I (or someone else) will find out the details but as for my own opinion:
Just open it and consecrate it! Allow people to hold services so that the few remaining Christians can pray in a Christian church again in the land of Muslims.
That's what I was afraid you'd say.
Thats a plan for chaos. Somebody must be in charge of the place ... somebody competent to manage the physical plant, collect money, pay bills, ensure security, schedule events, etc. ad nauseaum.
Amateurs worry about tactics. Professionals worry about logistics.
I'll sign when I'm assured that there's 'somebody in charge' who can handle the logistics of running the place as a Church. Until then ... I'm not thrilled with the way the Turkish government is running it, but it hasn't collapsed yet.
The "professionals" never seem to get anything done.
They can't see the forest for the trees.
Christians were able to run "the place" for almost 1300 years. You are obviously unaware fo the history of the region.
As I said in my earlier post, I or someone else will find out more details and get back to you.
The ususal method is to have a pastor or bishop in charge of it, with sufficient staff of some sort to ensure the maintenance of the physical plant and the scheduling of Liturgies etc. Simply throwing open the doors and inviting one and all, willy-nilly, is a recipe for chaos. It's also NOT what Christians have been doing for the last 2000 years.
If that's all you have, I'm for leaving the Turkish guvvies in charge until the Christians come up with a plan.
I would like to add that churches are taxed in Turkey, another burden.
The Greek Orthodox in Turkey have 79 churches, 72 of them are in Istanbul, I am sure that they could take care of the Hagia Sophia.
Signed and bumped.
Signed and bumped.
Signed.
It should be restored (and the minarets razed) as what it was before the Muslim invasion, an Orthodox church of whatever Orthodox management structures exist in Istambul. A church operating as a museum is a desecrated church, no matter how well the museum is maintained.
signed.
That said, I think the odds of the Turkish government allowing Hagia Sophia to be used for Christian worship again are even worse than the (minuscule)odds of the EU Parliament caring. A lot of the EU'ers hate Turks but their treatment of Christians does not enter into their hatred. The hatred of Turks has far more to do with the fact that they are brown-skin folks who refuse to adopt Modern European mores such as anti-racism (sarcasm off).
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