Outrage among Orthodox Christians around the world has sparked a new ad in which the famous Panagia Sumela Monastery in Turkey was used as a disco. A video from the creation of the ad shows dancing people and a DJ playing electronic music in the courtyard of the monastery, where the Divine Liturgy is celebrated annually on the Feast of the Assumption.
The creators of the video point out that the advertisement, intended to promote the monastery as a tourist attraction, was made with the permission of the Turkish authorities.
“Many comments on social networks talk about the desecration of the monastery and how the church bells are heard in the background along with the music. Some even asked for an explanation from the Turkish authorities, because the holy monastery was practically turned into a nightclub “, Greek Reporter writes.
However, the competent international bodies have not yet paid due attention to the events that took place last week. The blasphemous act provoked both sadness and a sharp reaction. His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent a letter of protest to Turkish Minister of Culture and Sports Mehmet Nuri Ersoy on the use of the monastery for purposes that do not correspond to its religious character and history.
The incident was also condemned by the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church at yesterday’s meeting. His Beatitude Archbishop Jerome II of Athens and All Greece shared: “What happened is sad and indicative of impunity not only in Turkey but also in our country. We can only meet this challenge if we are more serious and responsible and pay more attention to the meaning of life. ”
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakelaropoulou, expressed her regret and disappointment at the incident: “I am shocked by the recent desecration of this World Heritage Site, which the Greek world and especially the Pontians consider an integral part of their identity.”
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), chairman of the External Church Relations Department of the Russian Orthodox Church, commented on the sad event: his famous frescoes. These holy places were visited by pilgrims from all over the world and served as a symbol of mutual respect and understanding between the two world religions. At the moment, these Christian unifying holy places are virtually inaccessible to them.
Today, religious peace in the country has been disrupted again, as local authorities have authorized the creation of a disco in the main historical shrine of the Pontic Greeks – the monastery of Panagia Sumela in the province of Trabzon. It is said that this was done to attract tourists. I am convinced that Russian tourists, who make up the majority of visitors to Turkey, would never agree to such a cynical trampling on a holy Christian place. In Russia, such treatment of a church or mosque would result in punishment for violators. It is good to see that at least the locals and representatives of the tourism industry are protesting against what happened. The Russian Orthodox Church has done much to make this once glorious monastery accessible to worshipers and to make it possible to worship there. We strongly protest against the desecration of Orthodox holy sites in Turkey and hope that its leadership will not turn a blind eye to this outrage, especially in light of the strengthening of Russian-Turkish relations. “
For centuries the rock monastery, which is believed to have been built in the IV century under Emperor St. Theodosius I was the cradle of Pontic Hellenism. On August 15, 2010, a new tradition was set there to celebrate the patron saint’s day, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Holy Monastery is also a religious monument of cultural heritage, and since 2000 it has been included in the UNESCO list.
Sources: Orthodoxia News Agency; Orthodox Christianity
