“Hagia Sophia was built with the labor of 10,000 workers. It has gone through numerous renovations and all those efforts were meant to keep it as a worship place but not to serve as a museum,” Mashalian, the 85th Patriarch of Turkey’s Armenians, wrote on Twitter.
“I believe that believers’ praying suits better the spirit of the temple instead of curious tourists running around to take pictures,” he said, calling for the opening of Hagia Sophia to prayer.
“Hagia Sophia is large enough to allocate a space for Christians. Let it become the peace symbol of this era and humanity,” the patriarch wrote.
source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/armenian-patriarch-backs-opening-hagia-sophia-to-worship-155651
Meanwhile some Muslims are hostile to the decision.
I discuss this and other responses in my video here: https://youtu.be/SjK9f52O6JQ
Catholic Bishops of Turkey have the following to say:
“We are a church deprived of juridical status, so we cannot give any advice on this country’s internal questions,” the Turkish bishops’ conference said in a statement sent to Catholic News Service.
“Although we would wish Hagia Sophia to retain its character as a museum, it isn’t for us to intervene or even give our opinion on a decision which solely concerns the Republic of Turkey,” the bishops said.
I believe that the Catholics are well aware of the Muslim campaign to open up Catholic churches that were formerly mosques in Spain to Muslim prayer. They understand the implications and so are staying neutral.
This is just a little context
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