www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Turkey may request the relics of Saint Nicholas to be returned.

Who wants to bet that the pedestal was also bronze? And who wants to bet that melting it down and selling the metal was the avenue to pay for the monstrosity that replaced it--the red and white plastic Santa?

BOB

It occurred to me a few hours later that the solution, of course, is to offer to send the relics to be reinterred by the Patriarch at a functioning Hagia Sophia . . . the Patriarchal celebration of the Feast of Nativity would seem an appropriate time for this . . .

hawk, not holding his breath

When do we get to reopen the last Greek-Catholic Church in Turkey? It's been closed for over ten years.

Fr. Serge

I would certainly rather see that, than having them put in a museum by the Turks.

Is the Byzantine chapel in the Basilica of St. Nicholas actually Orthodox, David, or just merely Byzantine?

I visited last summer, and took a picture or two of the triptych and iconostasis at the Byzantine chapel (which I think I uploaded in the Pictures Forum). Anyway, it would seem odd to me to have a non-Catholic chapel in a Catholic basilica; that's why I'm asking.

Alexis

Based on the website of the Basilica, the Byzantine side of the chapel is used by Orthodox for the celebration of the divine liturgy.

If I recall it right, Italy, through the City of Bari, recently returned the other St. Nicholas Church (built by the last Tsar) to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Amado

According to the CNEWA article, Bari’s Borrowed Wonder Worker [cnewa.org], the Byzantine chapel has also been used by Italo-Byzantine Catholics.

Orthodox priests and bishops have been given permission to use the chapel, and even to celebrate on the tomb of the Saint himself. Vladyka Vsevolod celebrated the Liturgy in the Crypt assisted by Reader John Figel, a year or so before His Grace reposed in the Lord.

I don't know if the Byzantine Chapel is Orthodox, per se--it's not under the jurisdiction of a particular Orthodox hierarch--but I am under the impression that this chapel was added with the Orthodox in mind, as an ecumenical gesture.

David

Reader David, yes, I believe the chapel at the side of the crypt is for normal Orthodox usage, and it lies within the Basilica.

But Stuart, just a slight correction to your post. Vladyka Vsevolod venerated the tomb of St Nicholas (even bending on his knees under the altar to see up close the tomb that exudes the sacred myron) and celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the altar over the tomb (not the chapel on the side) on December 6, 1999, the feast day itself. He was granted special permission to use the altar over the tomb rather than the chapel. Vladyka reposed in the Lord two years ago, December 2007, so it was eight years before his death that we were in Bari, not just "a year or so". The Dominicans that maintain the Basilica were VERY gracious and gave us full accommodation and hospitality during our overnight visit.

One side note -- the liturgy was celebrated in a mixture of Church Slavonic, Ukrainian (a Ukrainian Orthodox seminarian was present and sang the troparia), Romanian (there is a large Romanian Orthodox parish in Bari whose pastor and many parishioners attended), English (I chanted the Epistle!) and even Italian (Vladyka used an Italian text for the words of consecration so that the hundreds of Italian pilgrims who were filing past the tomb would know what was going on at the altar!)

It was a most memorable experience, and the same week when Vladyka and I met privately with Pope John Paul II on Vladyka's birthday, December 10. Vladyka also celebrated a Divine Liturgy in the crypt of St Peter's Basilica that same morning at the tomb of St Peter in Rome -- according to Father Taft and Cardinal Cassidy, the first time an Orthodox Bishop had done so since the Schism of 1054!

Jack

Dear Jack:

By any chance, have you also visited the Chevetogne Abbey in Belgium where East (mostly of the Russian Orthodox tradition) and West are melded under one roof in a real life ecumenical setting?

The Dominicans started their ecumenical endeavor in 1951, I think, but the Benedicines started theirs in 1925!

Amado

Yes, Amado, I have been there a few times. Once, many years ago, included a couple of nights when I did my retreat before entering our diaconate program. My most recent visit was last January when I attended the consecration of Bishop Johan Bonny in Antwerp (northern Belgium on the coast), and then went on to Uzhorod for a week of Christmas celebrations. We went to the monastery and then had lunch with Archdeacon Thaddeus (a native of Baltimore) in Bastogne, the closest town with a decent restaurant!

They have two churches in the complex, Eastern and Western, and keep the Daily Office of both traditions pretty much simultaneously. But all the monks are Catholic. Their choir is world-renowned with many Byzantine chant recordings. They also have a very nice bookstore and gift shop at the property entrance that was new this last trip (including lots of varieties of incense!).

Jack

Is there even an active church in Myra for the relics?

I would suspect not with the most Christians being deported to Greece in the 1920s.

Actually just returning from Turkey there are plans to build a Church for the relics, and at government expense.
Stephanos I
PS A Byzantine Church with the celebration of DL