The echoes of the prayers for world peace were heard all across Türkiye as Christmas was celebrated in churches countrywide on Sunday.
In Istanbul, Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew led the mass, which started early in the morning at the Hagia Yorgi Church in the patriarchate’s garden. In addition to the Greeks living in Türkiye, people from other countries also showed interest in the service, in which candles were lit, prayers were offered and hymns were sung.
The country’s northwestern province of Edirne was another province that celebrated Christmas with services and prayers. Christians living in Bulgaria and Edirne attended the Mass held at the Sveti Georgi Church in the Barutluk neighborhood.
Priest Aleksandr Çıkırık recited hymns and prayers about Jesus from the Bible while the participants lit candles and prayed. The participants prayed for tranquility, peace, friendship and fraternity among people.
Meanwhile, people gathered in Türkiye’s southeastern province of Mardin to celebrate Christmas. Services were held in the historic churches in the province's central Artuklu and Midyat districts.
The congregation prayed for unity, solidarity and world peace. Later, hymns and prayers were recited in Syriac and Turkish, while those who attended the service were blessed. Participants underscored that wars and intolerance damage humanity, adding that love, peace and solidarity must be strengthened among people along with world peace and tranquility.
The faithful in southeastern Hatay province, another province where people from different ethnicities and religious beliefs live in solidarity, also celebrated Christmas.
Hatay has been the city of fraternity and friendship for centuries, participants stressed and said they wished the city would set an example for the whole world.
In addition to Mardin and Hatay, Christmas was celebrated in Türkiye’s southeastern province of Diyarbakir. In the Christmas mass held in the Church of the Virgin Mary in the historic Sur district, sweets were served to the participants at the end of the ceremony, where Syriacs lit candles and made wishes.