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ARMENIANS BAPTIZED AS ARMENIAN CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY'S DIYARBAKIR
http://www.armenianow.com/news/32628/armenian_church_turkey_reopening_baptizing
News | 25.10.11 | 13:13
A group of Armenians, raised as Sunni Muslims, were baptized last
Sunday as Armenian Orthodox Christians at the historic St. Giragos
(Surp Giragos) Armenian Church in Turkey's southeastern province of
Diyarbakır, Hurriyet Daily writes.
The church, which was reopened on October 22 following two years
of restoration work, host the baptism ceremony for dozens of Sunni
Muslims of Armenian origin, whose ancestors converted to Islam after
the 1915 killings in the Ottoman era.
Among those who were baptized was Gaffur Turkay, who also contributed
to the restoration of the church.
"I wish this church had always been open," he said. "It is unbelievable
to be together here with people from all around the world with whom
I share the same origins."
The baptism ceremony was closed to the press and outside visitors,
was led by Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram AteÅ~_yan.
The names of those to be baptized will not be revealed for security
reasons.
Among the participants in Sunday's service were guests from Armenia
and the United States, including leader of Armenia's Heritage Party,
Raffi Hovanissian, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardione and
Archbishop Vicken Ayvazian, diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church
of America.
The restoration work was funded by donations from Armenians in Istanbul
and abroad.
"We used to have over 2,600 churches and monasteries across Anatolia
in the past. Unfortunately, only a handful of sanctuaries remain. My
request from Turkey as a spiritual leader is for churches to be
returned to the [Armenian] community, rather than reopening them for
religious service as museums," Archbishop Ayvazian told the Hurriyet
Daily News.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/32628/armenian_church_turkey_reopening_baptizing
News | 25.10.11 | 13:13
A group of Armenians, raised as Sunni Muslims, were baptized last
Sunday as Armenian Orthodox Christians at the historic St. Giragos
(Surp Giragos) Armenian Church in Turkey's southeastern province of
Diyarbakır, Hurriyet Daily writes.
The church, which was reopened on October 22 following two years
of restoration work, host the baptism ceremony for dozens of Sunni
Muslims of Armenian origin, whose ancestors converted to Islam after
the 1915 killings in the Ottoman era.
Among those who were baptized was Gaffur Turkay, who also contributed
to the restoration of the church.
"I wish this church had always been open," he said. "It is unbelievable
to be together here with people from all around the world with whom
I share the same origins."
The baptism ceremony was closed to the press and outside visitors,
was led by Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram AteÅ~_yan.
The names of those to be baptized will not be revealed for security
reasons.
Among the participants in Sunday's service were guests from Armenia
and the United States, including leader of Armenia's Heritage Party,
Raffi Hovanissian, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardione and
Archbishop Vicken Ayvazian, diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church
of America.
The restoration work was funded by donations from Armenians in Istanbul
and abroad.
"We used to have over 2,600 churches and monasteries across Anatolia
in the past. Unfortunately, only a handful of sanctuaries remain. My
request from Turkey as a spiritual leader is for churches to be
returned to the [Armenian] community, rather than reopening them for
religious service as museums," Archbishop Ayvazian told the Hurriyet
Daily News.