In a very brief, improvised remark, the Pope, speaking from his studio window overlooking St Peter's Square, says he is 'thinking of St Sophia'.
Pope Francis says he is "deeply pained" over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Hagia Sophia — which was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral — from a museum to a mosque.Hagia Sophia was originally a cathedral but was converted to a mosque in 1453In a very brief, improvised remark, the Pope, speaking from his studio window overlooking St Peter's Square, noted the Catholic Church marked Sunday as International Day of the Sea.
Pope Francis said no more but was clearly referring to the move by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to formally convert the monumental building back into a mosque. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453.
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