A historic mass at the Sümela Monastery in the Black Sea coastal province of Trabzon -- a first in republican history -- was marked by peace on Sunday contrary to widespread concerns that the religious service would be the target of an act of provocation by Turkish ultranationalists.
Three-thousand Orthodox Christians gathered for the mass at the ancient monastery early in the day, which came after the government allowed a church service to be held there once a year in a gradual loosening of restrictions on religious expression. The mass was officiated by İstanbul-based Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew. Pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Georgia and other countries traveled to the monastery, which currently serves as a museum.
The event saw strong reactions by parts of the Turkish media and politicians from ultranationalist parties throughout last week. The reactions led the police force to step up security measures in Trabzon. Security check points helped police to maintain control in the province. No incident occurred there, though. The mass lasted two hours, and was broadcast live by a Greek television station. More than 50 foreign journalists also reported on the event.
Around 500 pilgrims were admitted to the monastery during the mass, and the remaining participants watched the event from large screens set up outside Sümela. After the completion of the mass, Bartholomew offered his thanks to the Ministry of Culture for its efforts to open the monastery for an annual service. He said the opening of the doors of the monastery for the mass was an act of courtesy on the part of the Turkish government.
Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew watched a local playing a kemençe before yesterday’s mass at Sümela Monastery. Around 3,000 Orthodox Christians participated in the event.
“We owe this day of worship to our government, which was kind enough to give us permission. We are most thankful as this day [the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos] is sacred not only for believers in the Black Sea region but also for the entire Orthodox and Christian world. We are blessed to celebrate this day here at Sümela,” the patriarch stated.
Bartholomew also expressed the will of the Christian population in Turkey to coexist with Muslim Turks. “The culture of coexistence is a legacy bequeathed to us. Let us make this legacy live and pass it over to younger generations so that no one suffers from problems linked to coexistence. I hope peace and happiness will dominate the Middle East and the Caucasus,” he noted, and wished the Muslim world a happy Ramadan. “I hope all Muslims will observe this day with peace, patience and worship.”
The monastery was abandoned after the foundation of the Turkish Republic and the subsequent population exchange between Turks and Greeks. It has since become a major tourist destination along Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
The government recently accepted Bartholomew’s request to hold this year’s celebration of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on Aug. 15 at Sümela Monastery, in line with its stated policy of addressing the issues of religious minorities. Security and lack of access to houses of worship are among the leading problems mentioned by religious minority communities in Turkey and the government has been working to extend the right to pray at sacred sites.
The green light for a mass at the monastery was met with strong protests from local websites and newspapers in Trabzon. A Facebook page by opponents of the event featured articles against the mass and called for action to stop the event. Two individuals were interrogated by police in connection with the protests last week.
For the last few years, Trabzon has been associated with controversial issues, including the killing of an Italian priest. Trabzon’s name has frequently been uttered in connection with the killing of Italian priest Father Andrea Santoro as well as the ongoing trial concerning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The 16-year-old boy who killed Santoro in the Santa Maria Church on Feb. 5, 2006, was initially given a life sentence which was then commuted to 20 years in prison due to the perpetrator’s legal status as a minor.
As for the case concerning Dink, he was shot dead outside the offices of the Agos newspaper in İstanbul on Jan. 19, 2007. The lawyers for Dink’s family had applied to the European Court of Human Rights in 2008 and again in 2009, arguing that the Turkish state had not taken precautions to prevent Dink’s murder. They first appealed to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding seven policemen, including former Trabzon police intelligence chief Engin Dinç and former counterterrorism team head Yahya Öztürk, claiming that the officers had obstructed justice.
Trabzon Governor Recep Kızılcık said Turkey hoped to express its respect for all religions and faiths with the historic mass. “All faiths are precious and sacred to us. With this perspective, the Turkish state allowed the Orthodox world to hold a mass at the Sümela Monastery. What fell on us was to ensure the security and peace of all visitors from inside and outside Turkey,” he noted.
Yesterday’s mass was the fruit of the government’s democratization package, which seeks to broaden individual rights and freedoms in Turkey. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) decided to include demands voiced by minority groups in its democratization package. Only last year, authorities prevented Greeks and Russians from praying at Sümela, long ago stripped of its official religious status.
Πηγή: Zaman
Three-thousand Orthodox Christians gathered for the mass at the ancient monastery early in the day, which came after the government allowed a church service to be held there once a year in a gradual loosening of restrictions on religious expression. The mass was officiated by İstanbul-based Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew. Pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Georgia and other countries traveled to the monastery, which currently serves as a museum.
The event saw strong reactions by parts of the Turkish media and politicians from ultranationalist parties throughout last week. The reactions led the police force to step up security measures in Trabzon. Security check points helped police to maintain control in the province. No incident occurred there, though. The mass lasted two hours, and was broadcast live by a Greek television station. More than 50 foreign journalists also reported on the event.
Around 500 pilgrims were admitted to the monastery during the mass, and the remaining participants watched the event from large screens set up outside Sümela. After the completion of the mass, Bartholomew offered his thanks to the Ministry of Culture for its efforts to open the monastery for an annual service. He said the opening of the doors of the monastery for the mass was an act of courtesy on the part of the Turkish government.
Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew watched a local playing a kemençe before yesterday’s mass at Sümela Monastery. Around 3,000 Orthodox Christians participated in the event.“We owe this day of worship to our government, which was kind enough to give us permission. We are most thankful as this day [the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos] is sacred not only for believers in the Black Sea region but also for the entire Orthodox and Christian world. We are blessed to celebrate this day here at Sümela,” the patriarch stated.
Bartholomew also expressed the will of the Christian population in Turkey to coexist with Muslim Turks. “The culture of coexistence is a legacy bequeathed to us. Let us make this legacy live and pass it over to younger generations so that no one suffers from problems linked to coexistence. I hope peace and happiness will dominate the Middle East and the Caucasus,” he noted, and wished the Muslim world a happy Ramadan. “I hope all Muslims will observe this day with peace, patience and worship.”
The monastery was abandoned after the foundation of the Turkish Republic and the subsequent population exchange between Turks and Greeks. It has since become a major tourist destination along Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
The government recently accepted Bartholomew’s request to hold this year’s celebration of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on Aug. 15 at Sümela Monastery, in line with its stated policy of addressing the issues of religious minorities. Security and lack of access to houses of worship are among the leading problems mentioned by religious minority communities in Turkey and the government has been working to extend the right to pray at sacred sites.
The green light for a mass at the monastery was met with strong protests from local websites and newspapers in Trabzon. A Facebook page by opponents of the event featured articles against the mass and called for action to stop the event. Two individuals were interrogated by police in connection with the protests last week.
For the last few years, Trabzon has been associated with controversial issues, including the killing of an Italian priest. Trabzon’s name has frequently been uttered in connection with the killing of Italian priest Father Andrea Santoro as well as the ongoing trial concerning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The 16-year-old boy who killed Santoro in the Santa Maria Church on Feb. 5, 2006, was initially given a life sentence which was then commuted to 20 years in prison due to the perpetrator’s legal status as a minor.
As for the case concerning Dink, he was shot dead outside the offices of the Agos newspaper in İstanbul on Jan. 19, 2007. The lawyers for Dink’s family had applied to the European Court of Human Rights in 2008 and again in 2009, arguing that the Turkish state had not taken precautions to prevent Dink’s murder. They first appealed to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding seven policemen, including former Trabzon police intelligence chief Engin Dinç and former counterterrorism team head Yahya Öztürk, claiming that the officers had obstructed justice.
Trabzon Governor Recep Kızılcık said Turkey hoped to express its respect for all religions and faiths with the historic mass. “All faiths are precious and sacred to us. With this perspective, the Turkish state allowed the Orthodox world to hold a mass at the Sümela Monastery. What fell on us was to ensure the security and peace of all visitors from inside and outside Turkey,” he noted.
Yesterday’s mass was the fruit of the government’s democratization package, which seeks to broaden individual rights and freedoms in Turkey. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) decided to include demands voiced by minority groups in its democratization package. Only last year, authorities prevented Greeks and Russians from praying at Sümela, long ago stripped of its official religious status.
Πηγή: Zaman