Protesters occupy church in Turkey

Yahoo: Associated Press ^ | November 22, 2006 | BENJAMIN HARVEY

[don-o]

mark

[ELS]

That's a lovely prayer. Thanks for posting it.

[Biggirl]

As they say, "the blood of martyrs is the seed of new Christians".

[FormerLib]

"Then they proceeded to each hold one of the boy's limbs, ‘Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!’ while beheading him."

Bring on the Jihad cheerleaders!

[Frank Sheed]

See #55.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Tailback]

Ok, so let's reclaim it all!

Reconquista Part Deaux.

[Maeve]

Lesson in language:

Allahu = 'our god'

ak = without

bar = 'a son'

So the Muslims blaspheme every time they speak, denying Jesus, saying "God has no Son" as if by shouting it, it would make it so.

But they are wrong. The following is the proclamation of Truth that brings joy to all peoples and is True even if only the stones cry out:

Our God has a Son! His Name is Jesus!

[NYer]

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.

Thank you, CT, for posting this prayer. It is my turn to write the Intercessions for this Sunday's liturgy. I will trim this down for our Holy Father, as he prepares for his visit to Turkey and Patriarch Bartholomew I.

Thank you, K, for that story about the final liturgy at Hagia Sophia. May we all live to see that day!

And special thanks to my dear Maeve, for her Arabic lesson. I'm jealous ;-) I have an extensive collection of Maronite CDs and mimic the words I don't recognize. Perhaps Santa will bring me some Arabic lesson plans for Christmas.

And, on an amusing note, my family asked what it was I most wanted for Christmas. I told them I wanted a medal of St. Charbel. My father understood "St. Gerbil" and asked where they could find this since the local religious goods store is now closed. Still laughing from the misinterpretation, I told him to call "Abouna". At that my mother understood "a buddha". Choking back the laughter, it took a few minutes to straighten them both out on the saint and my pastor, who brought these medals back from Lebanon earlier this year. Actually, I advised Father of this request ahead of time so he could expect their phone call. He assured me that he would be more than pleased to personally deliver the medal to my parents, bless it .... and ... their home! My father has only met him twice but been most impressed by this priest. I pray this will develop into a relationship. My father was never baptized by his parents. It is my lifelong prayer that he will be baptized before he dies.

[Kolokotronis]

Don't forget details of the EWTN coverage! :)

[NYer]

Don't forget details of the EWTN coverage! :)

No, I haven't forgotten but when I checked a few days ago, there was still no listing. Media blackout? Perhaps tomorrow.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

They entered the 6th century former Byzantine church and mosque, shouting "Allahu akbar!"

Knock me over with a feather. Who would imagine people doing this?

[NYer]

Don't forget details of the EWTN coverage! :)

No, I haven't forgotten but when I checked a few days ago, there was still no listing. Media blackout? Perhaps tomorrow.

[Dov in Houston]

Note to self

"to reclaim its status "

So it was Christian from the onset ?

[Turk2]

Those Islamofascist conquerers are Uncle Sam's best friends pal. Keep on sucking up to the Wahhabist Saudi's for their oil. Great idea to support ultra-fundamentalist theocracies and allow terrorists to operate against the only secular democracy (with a Muslim majority) in the region. Ask the State Dept. I'm sure they're really proud of their brilliant policies.

[toddlintown]

"There is one remnant of Greek still left in the Latin Mass though -- 'Kyrie Eleison' is Greek for 'Lord, have mercy'."

I did not know that (from an old altar boy of the Latin Mass era).

[JoeFromSidney]

They entered the 6th century former Byzantine church and mosque, shouting "Allahu akbar!" — "God is great!" — and then knelt to perform Islamic prayers.

One time I was touring Hagia Sophia in a group that included a Saudi. He asked the tour guide if he could pray there. He was told no, to wait until we visited the Blue Mosque, where he could pray.

When I was a visiting professor in Turkey, I saw no reason I couldn't pray when I heard the muezzin issuing a call to prayer. Of course, I wasn't praying to Allah.