Resources
COVID-19 pandemic increasing discrimination against Egypt’s Christians
Publication Date: 18/9/2020
Source: Crux Now
Persecution is the reality of life in Egypt for Christians, and it is gotten worse over the past decade, according to a leading human rights group. Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s 100 million people, making the country home to the largest Christian population in the Arab world. The vast majority of Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, the largest Church in the Oriental Orthodox communion – However there are about 350,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians, 300,000 Protestants, and just under 200,000 Catholics. Christians suffer discrimination from the Muslim majority, and often find it hard to find jobs, get a good education, and participate in the social life of the country.
Annual service held at Turkey's Akdamar Church with small mass due to virus
Publication Date: 6/9/2020
Source: Daily Sabah
The annual religious service that brings together the faithful from around the world at the church on Akdamar Island in Turkey’s eastern province of Van was held Sunday with a small mass of 25 people this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The mass held at the Armenian church was attended mostly by visitors from Istanbul, where the majority of Turkey’s Armenian population lives. Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan, High Priest Tatul Anuşyan, Father Şirvan Mürzyan and Father Krikor Damatyan were present at the service.
Former Byzantine churches are being converted to mosques – this threatens Istanbul’s cosmopolitan identity
Author: Stephen Khan
Publication Date: 15/9/2020
Source: The Conversation
Two former Byzantine churches of Istanbul, the famed Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, which served as museums for decades, have been converted to mosques in the space of a month. This has raised concerns. Istanbul’s Greek Orthodox community knows that more is at stake than these two monuments.
Istanbul’s Greek Orthodox, the Rum Polites, form the greater part of the flock of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the traditional centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Having been numerous and influential during Byzantine and Ottoman eras, they now constitute a small minority of merely 2,000. The traumatic experiences they have suffered, including pogroms and expulsions, have caused them to become globally dispersed. But the Rum Polites continue to retain a strong connection to Istanbul and its Byzantine heritage, made palpable by architectural landmarks like Hagia Sophia and Chora.
The Ecumenical Patriarch meets with the Armenian Patriarch in Turkey
Publication Date: 1/10/2020
Source: Orthodox Times
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had a meeting in Phanar with the Patriarch of the Armenians in Turkey, Sahag Maşalyan.
It is worth noting that the meeting of the two religious leaders took place at a critical time for the Armenian community, as tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan resurfaced in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is worth noting that two days ago at the Armenian Patriarchate in Constantinople, Turks and Azeris staged a demonstration.
Orthodox church petitions UN over Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
Publication Date: 29/9/2020
Source: AP News
The Greek Orthodox Church of the United States said Tuesday it is petitioning United Nations experts to coerce Turkey into protecting Orthodox Christianity’s cultural heritage following the Turkish government’s conversion of Istanbul’s landmark Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said it was pressing U.N. special rapporteurs in the areas of cultural rights, minority rights, freedom of religion and beliefs to hold Turkey accountable “for its deliberate policies to erase the cultural heritage of Orthodox Christians.”
Work begins on rebuilding Al-Tahera Syriac Catholic Church in the old city of Mosul
Publication Date: 12/9/2020
Source: UNESCO
The restoration and rehabilitation of the Al-Tahera Church in the Old City of Mosul is well underway.
In close coordination with local authorities, UNESCO concluded the first phase of activities by clearing the rubble and UXOs from the complex as well as securing the project site for reconstruction.
Coronavirus: Workers find comfort in prayer as churches reopen in industrial areas
Author: Ramola Talwar Badam
Publication Date: 12/9/2020
Source: The National.ae
Abu Dhabi workers living far from home said they are relieved they can return to communal prayer now that non-Muslim places of worship in industrial areas have reopened their doors to the faithful.
St Paul’s Church began services on Monday evening in Mussaffah, a densely populated industrial area of the capital, after months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rescuing Iraqi Christians
Author: David L. Phillips
Publication Date: 30/9/2020
Source: Chaldean News
There are at least 150,000 Chaldean-Americans living in Michigan with extended family in the Nineveh Plains of northern Iraq and East Syria. Chaldean-Americans represent an important constituency. However, the Trump administration has failed to address their concerns. Self-government, security, and economic development are critical to their survival.
