“This is a museum. Prayer is illegal in here:” Turkish guard warns
Austrian priest in Sourb Khach
13:12 – 19.09.10
A CNN reporter witnessed something extraordinary as he was preparing a
reporting about today’s mass to be served in Sourb Khach Church (Saint
Cross) on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van, Eastern Turkey.
`Inside, a man was seated barefoot in lotus position on the floor,
singing. His voice echoed off vaulted ceilings decorated with
hand-drawn icons painted cobalt blue and charcoal black,’ writes Ivan
Watson, adding that an embarrassed Turkish security guard approached
and interrupted.
“This is a museum. Prayer is illegal in here,” the guard explained.
“Even if someone comes and reads a poem out loud, even if a Muslim
prays here, we have to stop them,” said he and offered the man a
candle, and directed him towards a dark alcove in the church where
visitors were invited to light candles.
The singer turned out to be Father Anno Schulte-Herbruggen, a visiting
Catholic priest from Austria.”At least they cannot forbid me to pray
silently,” Father Anno later said.
Further Ivan Watson mentions that an ethnic Kurd visitor from
Switzerland expressed his admiration about the church and the site.
“This place is really wonderful! It’s a church and we are Muslims…
so its interesting,” he quotes Dilan Bal as saying.
Bal and several other friends from Europe had been performing
impromptu folk dances inside the church. They were among the day’s
handful of visitors to Akhtamar.
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian