[muawiyah]

Question ~ how many parishioners can you guarantee for Sunday Mass?

This is a huge building, very old, and to a degree "delicate". At the moment it serves as a museum ~ mostly of itself, but a museum nonetheless.

Istanbul is paying for the upkeep. Who will pay if it is turned into a church?

[Petrosius]

Question ~ how many parishioners can you guarantee for Sunday Mass?

The question is irrelevant. The church was built by Christians and stolen from them by force of arms. If Turkey would offer it to the Ecumenical Patriarch I am sure that he would come up with the funds to upkeep it. Such a move would cause no damage to the Muslims since it is no longer used as a mosque.

Islam claims that it is a religion of peace and diversity. What better way to prove it? If Turkey truly wants to join the Western nations in the EU then they must be held to the same standards. Christians in Turkey should have the same rights and freedoms as Muslims in the EU.

[sanormal]

...I wonder how many sausage cook-offs it would take to pay for that...hmmmm....

[jec1ny]

"Question ~ how many parishioners can you guarantee for Sunday Mass? This is a huge building, very old, and to a degree "delicate". At the moment it serves as a museum ~ mostly of itself, but a museum nonetheless. Istanbul is paying for the upkeep. Who will pay if it is turned into a church?" The church is in need of restoration and upkeep. I would expect and this is certainly going to cost money. But I suspect that money is not going to be hard to come by. If the church were returned tomorrow, I can just about guarantee that this Sunday every Orthodox parish in the world would hold a special collection for the restoration and upkeep of one of the holiest shrines in Christendom. And though I have doubts that such help would be accepted its likely that the catholic Church would "chip in" as well.

[Cronos]

Who will pay if it is turned into a church?

The Catholic and Orthodox churches should and would.

[Romish_Papist]

Who will pay if it is turned into a church?

It would not be "turned into a church" because it IS a church. Four minarets and some Arabic writing inside do not change that fact. It should be returned to it's original purpose.

[brooklyn dave]

Give it back to the Patriarch of Constantinople. By the way, the Greek Orthodox Church in North and South America are directly under the patriarch....that's where they get all their ducats from. Turkish Muslims will never give that building up. If they restore it to an active church, jiahdis will try and blow it up.