Cyprus-Forum.com

[Gasman]

It is not up to me to decide who cares for the Orthodox Church...Given the influence the church still exercises today on the Cypriot population,I'd say a lot of people do

I'd say so too.

[fwnh]

i wouldn't say the church exercises influence over the GC's, not today, they've been ridiculed too many times. You would definately change your mind if you could understand what the archbishop is saying on tv and phileleftheros (newspaper)...

[humanist]

Well no need to worry about the settlers for another couple of decades coz I don't see a solution looming. They had a hardliner Denktas they got him out ....... so they vote for another one ......... sometimes I think its a blessing we're not one country. The TC's are only good for running back yard vegie gardens lol not countries ..... that's why they haven't got one.

[YFred]

Well no need to worry about the settlers for another couple of decades coz I don't see a solution looming. They had a hardliner Denktas they got him out ....... so they vote for another one ......... sometimes I think its a blessing we're not one country. The TC's are only good for running back yard vegie gardens lol not countries ..... that's why they haven't got one.

Is that right now Shamus, tanks a million for your bit of shamrock and all that, what?

[YFred]

i wouldn't say the church exercises influence over the GC's, not today, they've been ridiculed too many times. You would definately change your mind if you could understand what the archbishop is saying on tv and phileleftheros (newspaper)...

Well come on, do not wet our apetites and leave as hanging at the hands of the usual bastards. Spill the beans old man, what?

[DT.]

i wouldn't say the church exercises influence over the GC's, not today, they've been ridiculed too many times. You would definately change your mind if you could understand what the archbishop is saying on tv and phileleftheros (newspaper)...

Well come on, do not wet our apetites and leave as hanging at the hands of the usual bastards. Spill the beans old man, what?[/quote

Turn on Turkish tv. He's in constantinople right now meeting with the Patriarch.

[YFred]

i wouldn't say the church exercises influence over the GC's, not today, they've been ridiculed too many times. You would definately change your mind if you could understand what the archbishop is saying on tv and phileleftheros (newspaper)...

Well come on, do not wet our apetites and leave as hanging at the hands of the usual bastards. Spill the beans old man, what?[/quote

Turn on Turkish tv. He's in constantinople right now meeting with the Patriarch.

Na baun stanatheman je boji jithgo.

[DT.]

i wouldn't say the church exercises influence over the GC's, not today, they've been ridiculed too many times. You would definately change your mind if you could understand what the archbishop is saying on tv and phileleftheros (newspaper)...

Well come on, do not wet our apetites and leave as hanging at the hands of the usual bastards. Spill the beans old man, what?[/quote

Turn on Turkish tv. He's in constantinople right now meeting with the Patriarch.

Na baun stanatheman je boji jithgo.

Not until they solve a few pesky issues in Turkey first. The theological school will have to open before relations with Greece are normalised.

You see, we in the EU are really trying to help Turkey earn its place amongst the other European nations. You just need to do a lot more listening to us and a lot less talking. Otherwise you'll never learn and then you'll never get to join our club.

[YFred]

i wouldn't say the church exercises influence over the GC's, not today, they've been ridiculed too many times. You would definately change your mind if you could understand what the archbishop is saying on tv and phileleftheros (newspaper)...

Well come on, do not wet our apetites and leave as hanging at the hands of the usual bastards. Spill the beans old man, what?[/quote

Turn on Turkish tv. He's in constantinople right now meeting with the Patriarch.

Na baun stanatheman je boji jithgo.

Not until they solve a few pesky issues in Turkey first. The theological school will have to open before relations with Greece are normalised.

You see, we in the EU are really trying to help Turkey earn its place amongst the other European nations. You just need to do a lot more listening to us and a lot less talking. Otherwise you'll never learn and then you'll never get to join our club.

Irony of it all is overwhelming. You are going to teach the turks how to open religous schools?
I think you'll find that they are experts at that. Just look around in Turkey when you are there next to see how many they have. Probaply in the millions. Tim where are you?
By that measurement they should be at the top table already.

[Nikitas]

"I would speculate and say that the Cyprus Orthodox Church owes its existance to the Ottoman invasion...Had the Catholic oppression continued much longer,it wouldve' been very difficult for Cypriots to maintain their faith..."

This view does not tally with the experience of the Ionian islands who were under Italian occupation, never fell to the Ottomans, and retained their Orthodox faith and their language, with an altogether more western outlook than the rest of Greece.

One of the biggest churches in Venice is Saint Demetrios, a Greek Orthodox church. Most Greek archives saved were those in Venice. The main canal of Venice is the canal of the Greeks, and a Greek community seurvives in the city to this day, tracing its roots to emigres from Istanbul after the the fall of 1453.

In southwest Italy a Greek speaking section of the population survives to this day, thousands of years after the initial settlement, obviously having no problem of linguistic or religious oppression from the majority. So the spectre of Venetian religious and cultural oppression is not borne out by the experience of other areas.

Speculating what might have happened to Cyprus if the Ottomans had not come, most likely what happened to the Ionian islands or perhaps to what happened in Italy to its native peasant population. Who knows, today Cyprus might have been a car making center or a design hothoutse, a Milano of the Middle East.