CWN - July 12, 2012
The world’s oldest functioning Christian monastery faces a clouded
future, after an appeals court in Turkey ruled that the building sits on
land not owned by the monks.
The Mor Gabriel monastery, built near the Syrian border, was established
in 397 by Syriac Orthodox monks, and has been in continuous use since
that time, welcoming up to 20,000 pilgrims each year.
But neighboring villagers brought suit against the monks, charging that
they were engaged in “anti-Turkish activities” since they educate young
men in the Aramaic language and in the Christian faith. The villagers
also claimed ownership of the land on which the monastery was
constructed. The court sided with the villagers on that claim.
Syriac Orthodox officials are likely to appeal the decision to the
European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the monastery’s title to
the property has been established by over 1,500 years of use.
An appeal might also highlight the lightly-veiled anti-Christian message
of the villagers’ complaint. The lawsuit alleged that the Mor Gabriel
monastery was built on a site previously used as a mosque, when in fact
the monastery was built 170 years before the birth of Mohammed.
catholicculture.org
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