USA

It was announced on Tuesday that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is petitioning United Nations experts to hold the Republic of Turkey accountable for what the archdiocese calls "its deliberate policies to erase the cultural heritage of Orthodox...

Elpidophoros, the Greek-Orthodox Archbishop of the Americas, met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday at the State Department. Discussing issues ranging from the takeover of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to peace in the Mediterranean, the talks were...

New York City Greek-American elected officials are calling on the Trump administration to formally rebuff Turkey’s President, Recep Erdogan, for his decision to close the historic Hagia Sophia as a museum. State Senators Michael Gianaris and Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member...

On the eve of Turkey’s planned inauguration of using Hagia Sophia as a mosque, the US House of Representatives passed, by unanimous consent, an amendment offered by Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) objecting to Turkey’s seizure of the Great Church...

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America met with President Trump and Vice President Pence late on Thursday to discuss Turkey's recent decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The previously-unannounced meeting with the President and Vice President at the White House...

Churches under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will toll their bells mournfully following Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The action was decided by the Archdiocese's Holy Synod during a video conference call...

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently expressed his disapproval over Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque last week, along with fellow political and world leaders who expressed similar sentiments. Secretary Pompeo went on...

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Greek Orthodox Elpidophoros and Catholic Cardinal, Timothy Dolan, deeply deplored Turkey's decision last Friday to reconvert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Both churchmen joined together to express their indignation at the events of...

The mosaics of Hagia Sophia are world-renowned priceless artifacts not only of Greek Orthodoxy but also of Byzantine Civilization and Hellenism. What is lesser known is that the hagiographies inside the Cathedral were restored by an American man before...

Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden expressed his "deep regret" over the decision by Turkey to turn Hagia Sophia to a mosque on Friday. Antony Blinken, Foreign policy adviser to Biden tweeted the statement: "The Hagia Sophia is an architectural marvel...

American officials reacted angrily on Friday to the decree by Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change Hagia Sophia's status from a museum and World Heritage site to a mosque.  The leadership of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued...

The US has spoken out against the Turkish government for trying to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, while urging the country to continue to maintain the site as a museum. In a statement released on Wednesday, July 1, by...

Ambassador Sam Brownback, the US Ambassador of Religious Freedom, urged Turkey last week to abandon plans to reconvert the sixth century monument of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. “The Hagia Sophia holds enormous spiritual & cultural significance to billions of...

Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to help prevent Hagia Sophia from being turned into a mosque. In...

The United States issued its annual religious freedom report on Tuesday, slamming allies and foes alike for their shortcomings. In the 2016 report Turkey is singled out for its treatment of religious minorities. Among other concerns, it focuses on two...