“No step forward has been officially made. We’ll keep waiting”. This is how the apostolic vicar to Anatolia and president of the Turkish Bishops Conference (Cet), mgr. Luigi Padovese, denies to SIR Europa (in an online interview at Agensir.it ) some rumours that have recently leaked on the Turkish media, according to which the Church of Tarsus, which is now a museum, would soon be granted to the Christian community. “Just a few days ago, I called the advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Culture, but I received no confirmation of what the local media are saying about the forthcoming granting of the Church that is so widely visited by pilgrims”, states mgr. Padovese. “No step forward has been officially made. I am aware that some interest has been shown by the Turkish Embassy to the Holy See and by the industrialists of Mersin, a big city near Tarsus, who, having economic interests, are lobbying for the granting of the Church”. “We are waiting for the institutions to give their final confirmation. Something seems to be happening: for example, a church of the Syro-Catholics will be opened in a few months’ time at Iskenderun, which, after having been converted into a porn cinema, has now been restored and will be converted back to a church. As to Tarsus, we are waiting”.

© SIR - december 16th, 2009