The annual Mass at the Holy Cross Armenian Church on Akhtamar Island in eastern Turkey will be held behind closed doors this year due to safety concerns, Ermenihaber reported.
The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople said in a statement that the liturgy offered every year since 2010 is set to be celebrated at the church on September 6 this year. It is noted that only Archbishop Sahag II Mashalian and the clergymen will be inside the Church, while the islands will remain closed for tourists and pilgrims.
To note, after reconstruction Holy Cross Church turned into a museum, and Turkish authorities allowed to have liturgy there once a year. It’s worth reminding that the church is still without a cross.
