Moscow, July 7, 2020
Photo: rfi.fr
“A threat to Agia Sophia is a threat to the entire Christian civilization and, therefore, to our spirituality and history. To this day, Agia Sophia remains a great Christian shrine for every Russian Orthodox believer,” His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said in a recent statement expressing his deep concern over the plans of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other politicians to de-secularize Agia Sophia and turn it into a mosque once again.
Following a session that lasted less than 20 minutes last week, the Council of State of Turkey, the country’s highest administrative court, declared that the status of the iconic building can be changed by a simple presidential decree, as President Kemal Ataturk decreed its conversion from a mosque into a museum in 1934.
“I am deeply concerned over the calls of certain Turkish politicians to reconsider the museum status of Agia Sophia, one of the greatest monuments of Christian culture,” the Patriarch states, recalling that it was precisely there that St. Vladimir’s envoys experienced the riches of Orthodoxy that led to the Baptism of Rus’.
Relations between Rus’ and Constantinople have had their ups and downs, the Patriarch notes, “Yet, with bitterness and indignation the Russian people responded in the past and respond now to any attempt to degrade or trample upon the millennium-old spiritual heritage of the Church of Constantinople. A threat to Hagia Sophia is a threat to the entire Christian civilization.”
Every state is called upon to maintain balance and harmony amongst its people, the Patriarch reminds. What could happen to Agia Sophia could also inflict great harm upon the Russian people, the majority of whom are Orthodox.
The head of the Russian Church concludes by expressing his hope that Turkish authorities will act prudently and preserve the current neutral status of Agia Sophia and thus “help strengthen interfaith peace and accord.”
Last month, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece called upon Turkey to maintain the status quo regarding Agia Sophia, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens stated on Greek television over the weekend that this is just another one of Turkey’s games—in the end, they won’t be brave enough to change the status of Agia Sophia. Turkish media has described the Archbishop’s statement as “provocative and audacious.”
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople earlier warned that, “the conversion of Agia Sophia into a mosque will turn millions of Christians all over the world against Islam, and Agia Sophia, which, due to its sacredness, is a vital center where East is embraced with the West.”
Turkish authorities interpreted his words as a threat.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued today, the Russian State Duma calls on Turkish authorities not to change the status of the iconic Agia Sophia.
“An outstanding monument of Byzantine architecture, a world masterpiece included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, this church-museum is one of the most visited attractions of the city of Istanbul by Russian tourists,” the appeal states.
The Duma Deputies are grateful for the friendly relations between the two countries and warn that a hasty change in its status could cause great damage in inter-religious and international relations.
