The union of Orthodox and Catholic Churches is all but a formality. This is the view of the Vatican Correspondent for NCR after a momentous meeting between Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. The pair met on the Feast of St Andrew, at the Church of St Read more
The man who tried to assassinate John Paul II wants to meet Pope Francis during the Holy Father’s November 28-30 visit to Turkey. “I had met with a pope before. It is quite normal to meet with him (Pope Francis) as well,” said gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in a written statement. In mentioning his first papal meeting Agca Read more
A century ago, in a misconceived encounter on the history-soaked precipices of Asia Minor, the sons of Anzac received their battle initiation against the German-trained forces of the Ottoman Empire. Now, in an annual event that grows in mythology and status in proportion to the passing of the years, is celebrated the shared combat ordeal Read more
No extra security measures will be taken during upcoming trips by Pope Francis to Albania and Turkey despite alleged assassination threats. Threats to kill the Pope by the terrorist Islamic State were revealed by Iraq’s ambassador to the Holy See in an interview in an Italian newspaper on Tuesday. But Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi, Read more
Turkey’s foreign ministry has protested to the Vatican after Pope Francis referred to the mass murder of Armenians as “the first genocide of the 20th century”. The Pope alluded briefly to the Armenian genocide during a meeting with Armenian Catholic Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni of Cilicia. An estimated 1 to 1.5 million Armenians died Read more
Anzac Day moves me. I think about the soldiers who went away as members of the British Empire and who came back as New Zealanders. I think about my Grandfather who served in Italy. I think about my shipmates I served with in the Navy and I think about the people I know who are Read more
A total of 120 Christian churches in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus have been desecrated and transformed into storage facilities, museums or even mosques. The Archbishop of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, says artworks in the Christian churches attacked have been confiscated and sold, and Cyprian Christians have also been assaulted. He said Turkey is trying Read more
Thousands of devout Muslims prayed outside Turkey’s historic Hagia Sophia museum on Saturday to protest a 1934 law that bars religious services at the former church and mosque. Worshippers shouted, “Break the chains, let Hagia Sophia Mosque open,” and “God is great” before kneeling in prayer as tourists looked on Turkey’s secular laws prevent Muslims Read more
When our pilgrim group of Sydney teachers was sitting in the ancient amphitheatre at Ephesus, another group of Australians started to sing Advance Australia Fair for the tourists from many nations. They were pleasantly surprised when our group joined them. Mostly young, they were on their way to Gallipoli, with many New Zealanders. Officials estimated Read more