Posted on 08/06/2009 1:24:52 PM PDT by marshmallow
VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Despite a personal request from Pope Benedict XVI and repeated requests by Christian leaders in Turkey, the Turkish government has decided that the only church in Tarsus, the city of St. Paul's birth, will remain a government museum.
The Church of St. Paul, built as a Catholic church in the 1800s and confiscated by the government in 1943, was used throughout the 2008-2009 year of St. Paul for prayer services by Christian pilgrims.
After the end of the yearlong celebration commemorating the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul's birth, the Turkish government decided the building could not be used exclusively for worship.
Bishop Luigi Padovese, the apostolic vicar for Anatolia and president of the Catholic bishops' conference of Turkey, told the Vatican newspaper Aug. 1 that the government decided to return to the practice of allowing Christians to pray in the church as long as they made reservations three days in advance and bought an admission ticket.
Meeting the Turkish bishops in February during their "ad limina" visits to Rome to report on the status of their dioceses, Pope Benedict had expressed his hopes that the government would give Christians permanent use of the building for prayer.
Bishop Padovese told L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, that in addition to asking Christians to pay to enter the church, Turkish authorities have placed a time limit on Masses and other prayer services so they do not disrupt the normal operation of the museum.
"It is a lack of respect for the right to religious freedom and freedom to worship," the bishop said.
ok
O.K.
Sorry
EU to Turkey. F.O.
Until the 1920s, the area was still largely “Greek” and Christians. Then there was a swap of populations with the Muslims and Christians—mainly of the same blood, switching places on the two sides of the Aegean.
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We consider ourselved Turks. Similar to how Americans consider themselves Americans. We won’t split our land along ethnic lines, we are aware of and admire our ethnic diversity - 43 ethnicities consider themselves Turks. Being a Turk transcends those ethnicities, as all are intermingled. Very similar to being an American.
This again is true with the central asian Turks, which are a mix of ethnicities. Ethnic diversity is second nature to us and we view it as an advantage.
Ertugrul Beg led 600 cavalry archers into the Sogut area in NW Anatolia and dominated the place almost a thousand years ago. I also have that blood in me and it feels good. Far as I am concerned I am one of those cavalry archers, strong and proud.
Why would I deny it. Our strength is based on our diversity. Some may attempt to exploit diversity as a weakness but it won’t happen.
>> I always see ...
Don’t. Intermarriage produces the diversity that defines us. But each region preserves its culture in the form of music, dance, and dress. Look into it, you’ll find it interesting. It’s like what happens to immigrants to the USA. After some time their language fades, but their food, dance and music persist. It isn’t an Americanization by force, but rather by consequence of intermingling.
The only NON mongol blood turks have in them is the blood of their victims and the blood of the thousands of Christian girls and women they have raped—forced Turkification.
They are a really bunch of inhuman beasts....
Mongols aren’t Turks. The people of present-day turkey: SOME would be the descendents ofrapes, yes, but don’t forget that millions were converted (by force or by choice — better mobility etc.) — the fact is that many people of Greek, Phrygian, lydian, Armenian, Georgian etc. origin took on the garb of Turks andmuslims for polital expediency and THEIR descendents are now in the majority in Turkey — as they always were.
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