St. Methodius worked for unity and reconciliation in the Eastern Church and served as the Patriarch of Constantinople the last five years of his life. Born in Syracuse, he first felt the call to enter religious life while in Constantinople, where he had gone to seek a position at court. …

Vatican City, Jul 12, 2020 / 04:50 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis expressed his sadness Sunday after Turkey’s decision to convert the former Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. In improvised remarks after reciting the Angelus, the pope recalled that July 12 is Sea Sunday, when the …

CNA Staff, Jul 10, 2020 / 10:15 am MT (CNA).- Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has signed a decree converting Hagia Sophia, the former cathedral of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul, into a mosque. The presidential decree was signed within hours of a court ruling Friday, which declared unlawful an 80-year …

CNA Staff, Jul 9, 2020 / 04:01 pm MT (CNA).- While Turkey’s president has made moves to close the museum at the former Christian basilica Hagia Sophia and revert it to a mosque, the Patriarch of Constantinople has said the massive site should remain as it is, a place of …