NORTH CAROLINA 25 July 2020 (ORCNS) -- In response to the declaration of the Church of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (historic Constantinople) as a mosque rather than an ecumenical shrine, 24 July 2020 has been declared a day of mourning for Christendom. The Muslim Imam ascended the pulpit of the Hagia Sophia, once the largest church of the Christian world and the center of the Eastern Roman Empire, with an Ottoman sword as a sign of conquest. The goal of retaking at least part of Jerusalem was declared.
In response to this vicious desecration and bigoted attack on Christianity, Bishop William Jones preached a sermon in which, holding a sword himself, he reiterated the importance of defending the Church and the Faith. He stated that several centuries of history of the Ottoman Empire was no justification for this act by Turkey. In fact, modern Turkey was invaded by the Turks. Before that it was a Latin Empire of Constantinople, and before that the Byzantine Empire -- Christian lands. The Church of the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was built by the Emperor Justinian and remains at its heart a Christian Church, now occupied by the Mohammedans.
Sermon video below.