Armenian Patriarch: "Covenant Between the Cross and the Crescent" Will Be "Salvation of The World"

The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Sahak II Mashalian endorsed the idea to turn the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople into a place of worship, Fides.org reports (June 16).

The Hagia Sophia was a church until 1453 when the Turks transformed it into a mosque. Since 1935 it is a museum.

Sahak II is the head of the largest Christian community in present-day Turkey. He thinks that “the prayers of believers suits better the spirit of the temple instead of curious tourists running around to take pictures.”

The Patriarch hopes that the Hagia Sophia will be reopened for both, Muslims and Christians, “Even though our faiths are different, don’t we believe in the same God?” - he suggests.

According to him the current world “cannot afford the luxury of a new conflict between the cross and the crescent.”

For Sahak, a "covenant of the cross and the crescent" will be "the salvation of the world." And, "The honour of manifesting such peace to the world is worthy of the Republic of Turkey."

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Novella Nurney

Jun 20, 2020

Oh , this is so tiresome. Up until a few years ago , no average Catholic , Protestant, Schismatic, etcetera of any kind would ever even think that the god of the Muslims and the One Holy Triune God of Christianity are " the same God". This is simply false. For centuries upon centuries this was never questioned. Why would it be? Nowadays...

Jmy1975

Jun 21, 2020

@Novella Nurney Pope JP2 did kiss a Quran, though...

Novella Nurney

Jun 21, 2020

And Benedict XVI had some interesting things to say on the matter as well ; "Pope Benedict XVI has called for Christians as "to open their arms and hearts" to Muslim immigrants and "to dialogue" with them on religious issues. The Pope told participants that the Catholic Church is "increasingly aware" that "interreligious dialogue is a part of its commitment to the service of humanity in the modern world." In fact, this "conviction" has become "the daily bread" of those who work with migrants, refugees and itinerant peoples.( citation-Open arms to Muslim immigrants, archived 2-27-2007.
Then there is Asissi II as well.
I'm not proposing this is new in the hierarchy. Only that a majority of Catholics ( I'm speaking of Catholics with a clue here, not catholics with no catechisis ) until recently would not state Muslims and Catholics worship the same god. Because it is a lie. All those encyclicals and bulls of centuries of Pontiff's say just that!

Jmy1975

Jun 19, 2020

You're seeing why the "Orthodox" are not the True Church. Oh and he's probably scared to death of the Muslim mob?

Hugh N. Cry

Jun 19, 2020

Silly patriarch, leave theology to to the true believers. In no way is the Holy Trinity allah.