WTO for Divine Liturgy at Panagia Soumela: "Silence is not neutrality"translated

With strong criticism of the Greek Government for its attitude, the Panpontian Federation of Greece (POE) stands for the non-celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the historic Holy Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Pontus during this year's Fifteenth of August. In its announcement yesterday, on the day of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin, the WTO underlines the special importance of the day for Pontic Hellenism, noting that in the face of the Virgin Mary "the face of the Pontian Mother is embodied", but also of every mother who sympathizes with the pain of her children.

However, as the Federation points out, for another year the Divine Liturgy was not held at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Sumela on Mount Mela, in Matsouka, Trabzon, attributing the responsibility to the Turkish authorities.

The WTO speaks of "further escalation of Turkish challenges" towards the religious sentiment of the Pontic Greeks and the Greek people more broadly, while it also focuses its attention on the attitude of the Greek government.

"The constant question for us is the attitude of the Greek Government, which once again keeps a fishy silence", he says, raising questions about the reasons that, as he claims,...