Turkish Govt. Denies EP Permission to Celebrate Liturgy at Panagia Soumela

ISTANBUL — For the second year in a row, Turkish authorities have denied Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew permission to lead the Divine Liturgy at the historic Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Trebizond, Pontus.

The monastery, a significant spiritual site for Orthodox Christians, was founded in 386 by monks Barnabas and Sophronios. It houses an icon of the Virgin Mary, believed to be painted by St. Luke, author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. The name “Soumela” comes from Mount Mela and the Pontic dialect term “sou,” meaning “at Mela.”

Last year, approval for the Liturgy of the Apodosis of the Feast of the Dormition, known as the “Nine Days” celebration, was granted only at the last moment. Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos officiated in the Patriarch’s place. This year, no formal denial was issued, and Patriarch Bartholomew, anticipating the refusal, traveled to his native Imbros to celebrate with family and locals.

The monastery, a symbol of Pontian Hellenism, was a spiritual stronghold until the early 20th-century genocide devastated the Pontian Greek community. Permission for worship was first granted in 2010 but halted from 2015 to 2019 for restoration. Recently, nationalist opposition has intensified against the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the annual Liturgy.

Today, a new church in Vermio, Veria, serves as a spiritual hub, drawing thousands of pilgrims during the Feast of the Dormition to honor the Virgin Mary and preserve Pontian traditions.

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