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PATRIARCHATE DRIFTING AWAY, SAYS BARTHOLOMEW
Today's Zaman
Dec 25 2009
Turkey
As a follow-up to his controversial and much-debated interview with
CBS's "60 Minutes," Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew said in an
interview with the Milliyet daily on Thursday that his community is
running out of oxygen and that the patriarchate is slowly drifting away
due to restrictions placed on the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey.
Patriarch Bartholomew's remarks, in which he likened his treatment
by the Turkish government to crucifixion, led to disappointment and
anger in Ankara. Speaking to Milliyet, Bartholomew did not take back
what he said earlier, noting that what he said was a "reality."
Speaking in an interview with "60 Minutes" for a story broadcast in
the United States on Sunday night, Patriarch Bartholomew said Turkey's
Greek Orthodox community does not feel it enjoys complete freedom as
Turkish citizens and that it feels it is treated as "second-class
citizens." During his interview with the Turkish paper yesterday,
Bartholomew said he used the word crucifixion figuratively, but that
everyone has gotten overly fixated on this phrase. "It was supposed
to mean we have problems," he said.
Repeatedly noting that the Halki Seminary has kept closed for 39
years, Bartholomew said most of the metropolitans in Europe are
over 70 years old and that they expect new men of religion from
the patriarchate. Another issue that he complained about during his
interview with Milliyet was that discussions and projects about the
Halki Seminary are being carried out in secret in Ankara and that the
patriarchate does not have any information on this. On the opening of
the seminary, the leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the
world said the government intends to open the seminary but "perhaps
the deep state does not want it to be opened."
"We are running out of people, patience and there is no solution. If
there were no pilgrims from Greece, our churches would be empty. There
are only 3,000 Greeks left," he added. Making mention of the Cage plan,
a recently revealed plot that aimed to kill non-Muslims to bring about
chaos in the country, Bartholomew pointed to an article published
by the Zaman daily to show that he, along with Armenian Patriarch
Mesrob and prominent Jewish businessman Ishak Alaton, were on the
hit list. "What more can I say? Is this not crucifixion?" he asked.
Today's Zaman
Dec 25 2009
Turkey
As a follow-up to his controversial and much-debated interview with
CBS's "60 Minutes," Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew said in an
interview with the Milliyet daily on Thursday that his community is
running out of oxygen and that the patriarchate is slowly drifting away
due to restrictions placed on the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey.
Patriarch Bartholomew's remarks, in which he likened his treatment
by the Turkish government to crucifixion, led to disappointment and
anger in Ankara. Speaking to Milliyet, Bartholomew did not take back
what he said earlier, noting that what he said was a "reality."
Speaking in an interview with "60 Minutes" for a story broadcast in
the United States on Sunday night, Patriarch Bartholomew said Turkey's
Greek Orthodox community does not feel it enjoys complete freedom as
Turkish citizens and that it feels it is treated as "second-class
citizens." During his interview with the Turkish paper yesterday,
Bartholomew said he used the word crucifixion figuratively, but that
everyone has gotten overly fixated on this phrase. "It was supposed
to mean we have problems," he said.
Repeatedly noting that the Halki Seminary has kept closed for 39
years, Bartholomew said most of the metropolitans in Europe are
over 70 years old and that they expect new men of religion from
the patriarchate. Another issue that he complained about during his
interview with Milliyet was that discussions and projects about the
Halki Seminary are being carried out in secret in Ankara and that the
patriarchate does not have any information on this. On the opening of
the seminary, the leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the
world said the government intends to open the seminary but "perhaps
the deep state does not want it to be opened."
"We are running out of people, patience and there is no solution. If
there were no pilgrims from Greece, our churches would be empty. There
are only 3,000 Greeks left," he added. Making mention of the Cage plan,
a recently revealed plot that aimed to kill non-Muslims to bring about
chaos in the country, Bartholomew pointed to an article published
by the Zaman daily to show that he, along with Armenian Patriarch
Mesrob and prominent Jewish businessman Ishak Alaton, were on the
hit list. "What more can I say? Is this not crucifixion?" he asked.