{"id":69758,"date":"2020-07-24T02:45:05","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T02:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/?p=69758"},"modified":"2020-07-24T02:45:05","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T02:45:05","slug":"day-of-mourning-for-hagia-sophia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/?p=69758","title":{"rendered":"Day of Mourning for Hagia Sophia"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/HAGIA-SOPHIA-page-003.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-69759\" src=\"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/HAGIA-SOPHIA-page-003-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/HAGIA-SOPHIA-page-003-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/HAGIA-SOPHIA-page-003-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/HAGIA-SOPHIA-page-003-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/h4>\n<div>The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church joins the world in protesting the decision to make one of the most historic masterpieces of Christendom, into a mosque.\u00a0 Hagia Sophia has been a sacred place of significant importance for the Orthodox Church, especially the Patriarchate of Constantinople.<\/div>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/h4>\n<div>The benevolence of the Turkish government has ensured this sacred place to be preserved as a museum for all generations, irrespective of faith to enjoy.\u00a0 The recent decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque destroys the very message of tolerance which it stood for.\u00a0 The Northeast American Diocese joins the millions of Christians and other secular-minded people throughout the world, as we grieve over such a devastating decision.\u00a0 The Northeast American Diocese joins our brothers and sisters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and other Christian denominations, in observing a &#8220;Day of Mourning&#8221; on Friday, July 24, 2020.\u00a0 Our Diocesan clergy and faithful stand against this act of religious aggression and pray sober minds will prevail over such acts of aggression.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Our Church requests President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan to reconsider his painful decision, and return to the status quo which Hagia Sophia remains as a museum.\u00a0 This is a place to celebrate religious pluralism in Turkey, and as a wonderful example to the world.\u00a0 The Malankara Church prays that this symbol of peace and co-existence will be permitted to continue, so all people can celebrate the rich history of Hagia Sophia.<\/div>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\">&#8211; Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, Metropoltian of the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church<\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\">President of the Department of Ecumenical Relations of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church joins the world in protesting the decision to make one of the most historic masterpieces of Christendom, into a mosque.\u00a0 Hagia Sophia has been a &hellip; 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