On the occasion of the feast of Eid Al Fitr, the Christian Leaders of Cyprus wish H.E Mufti Talip Atalay as well as all Turkish Cypriots and Muslims living in Cyprus and around the world, a blessed feast.
“May the Grace of Almighty God be with you and grant all your prayers. We are all praying for the sick, the vulnerable and oppressed. Let His Peace rule in our hearts, so that we may seek peace and pursue it.
We extend our sincere greetings and best wishes. Blessed Eid Al Fitr! Bayramınız Kutlu Olsun ! Eid Mubarak!”
Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus
Khoren, Archbishop of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Cyprus
Chorbishop Selim Sfeir, Patriarchal Administrator of the Maronite Archeparchy of Cyprus
Reverend Father Jerzy Kraj, Latin Patriarchal Vicar of Cyprus
The Religious Leaders of Cyprus that make up the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP), jointly express their best wishes for the meetings starting today in Geneva to end the stalemate of the Cyprus peace process and resume the dialogue on the future of the island and pray for them.
“You are meeting at a holy time for Christians and Muslims; Easter and Ramadan, when we in Churches and Mosques all over our island ask for forgiveness, pray for our neighbor and believe in the possibility for a new life.
We assure you that we are following your deliberations closely and pray that God Almighty will guide you at every step.
After decades of conflict, mistrust, division & insecurity, we pray that God will guide you to walk in the path of wisdom and righteousness.
We call on you to pay special attention to the living religious heritage of our island and improve our possibility to access, use and restore our places of worship and cemeteries that have been separated from their worshipers as a result of the decade long unresolved Cyprus conflict.
Religion should not be divided according to political considerations. Christians and Muslims belong to the whole of the island and the religious heritage of Christian and Muslim monuments, next to each other, is a symbol of many hundred years of co-existence, mutual respect, and shared space. We all have a responsibility to ensure that this mark of civilization is not ending with our generation.
We urge you to embark on a common journey of increased cooperation, dialogue, and empathy between our communities, for memories to heal, trust replacing fear and for hope to grow.”
Religious Leaders of Cyprus are deeply saddened to hear the news that the grounds of the Armenian Monastery of St Magar were used for a live techno party on March 20th 2021, uploaded on YouTube on 7 April 2021.
The Religious Leaders of Cyprus condemn this unfortunate act and any misuse, disrespect and desecration of places of worship and cemeteries in Cyprus, irrespective of intention, religion, dogma & denomination.
The Religious Leaders reiterate their request that all places of worship and cemeteries, in use or not, are protected against vandalism, misuse and desecration. Disrespecting places of worship and cemeteries creates pain, nurtures mistrust and becomes an obstacle to peaceful coexistence.
Background Note:
Sourp Magar Monastery is located in Halefka in the Pentadaktylos mountain range in Cyprus. This live techno party was organised by an event-planning group, that apparently organises and broadcasts electronic music events at entertainment venues, including historical and cultural locations. The event was recorded and uploaded on YouTube on 7 April 2021.
Sourp Magar is an Armenian Monastery is an 11th century Monastery founded by the Coptic Orthodox Church in memory of Saint Makarios the hermit of Alexandria. The Monastery was transferred to the Armenian Community in Cyprus during the 15th century and has belonged to and has been intrinsically linked to the community ever since.
St Magar Monastery has been left uncared for since 1974 and is in dire need of immediate protection, renovations and full restoration. It is the most important place of worship and pilgrimage for the Armenian community of Cyprus and the only Armenian Monastery in Cyprus.
Cypriot Women of Faith Making a Difference in a COVID 19 world
8 March 2021
On 8 March 2021, the Office of RTCYPP under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden, hosted a webinar to mark International Women’s Day, titled “Cypriot Women of Faith Making a Difference in a COVID 19 world”.
The webinar followed an online discussion between the moderator, Mrs. Salpy Eskidjian – Executive Director of the Office of RTCYPP- and four women of faith in leadership in order to highlight & celebrate their efforts in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The four panelists were: Mrs Thekla Kallika, whose journey as a mother of 2 children with multiple disabilities gave birth to St Loucas Community, a non-profit, non–governmental organization aimed at setting up the first state-of-the-art Multifunctional Community Centre in Cyprus offering health care, accommodation, support and development to adults and children with disabilities; Mrs. Gosia Chrysanthou, who is currently the Case Supervisor overseeing all field operations dedicated to assisting the vulnerable at Caritas Cyprus; Mrs. Zehra Balman, who organized her local community to provide food for international students and needy families struggling to make ends meet due to lack of work because of COVID 19 lockdowns; and Ms Antigoni Michael, a young archaeologist who specialized in public engagement for cultural heritage and peace development and the first Cypriot Youth Ambassador recently selected by Europa Nostra as a European Heritage Youth Ambassador.
It was an honor to welcome an audience comprised of a total of 50 participants, from religious institutions and faith-based organizations from Cyprus and abroad, diplomatic missions, intergovernmental and international organizations such as the OSCE, UN and a number of participants from NGOs and academia from different countries including Ambassadors, Religious Leaders as well as the first woman Force Commander in UN history Major General Kristin Lund of Norway, who urged women to join forces to make a difference in Cyprus as faith is and will be an important motivation for the peace process.
The panelists provided inspiring personal accounts of their experiences setting up and working for these initiatives aiming to raise awareness on dealing with a number of social issues and promoting social cohesion, transitional justice and acceptance in a world gravelly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The webinar was an initiative following the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, set by UN Women, which was “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”
