Elpidophoros: Hagia Sophia Still a 'House of Incarnation'

Source: Archbishop Elpidophoros/Facebook

NEW YORK, NY— On July 24, 2025, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America issued an archepiscopal encyclical for the Day of Remembrance of Hagia Sophia, marking five years since its 2020 reconversion from a museum to a mosque.

Addressing Orthodox Christians, he reflected on the sacred space’s enduring spiritual and historical significance, noting its great dome as a symbol of God’s creativity and humanity’s potential for divine transformation, or theosis. 

“Hagia Sophia embodies the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, uniting Logos and Sophia,” he said, emphasizing its role as the “House of Incarnation,” where humanity’s divine potential is manifested, as St. Peter wrote, “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). 

Despite its altered function, the Archbishop called the day bittersweet—bitter for the loss of its Christian purpose, yet sweet because “we have the Great Church incarnate in our Venerable Ecumenical Patriarchate.”

He urged believers to draw inspiration from Hagia Sophia, praying it continues to “give birth to spiritual children” worldwide, proclaiming the glory of Christ, the Savior, through the mystery of the Incarnation.

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