With little fanfare, authorities in Turkey's eastern Van region have finally installed a cross on the Armenian island church of Akdamar. The church, of course, was the scene of a historic mass on Sept. 19, the first time a service was held in the church for some 95 years. Many Armenians, though, refused to come to the service because a cross that had been prepared for the church had yet to be installed on the building's roof. Local officials said they lacked the proper equipment and didn't have enough time to do it before the service, but many critics believed the government did not want to be seen as if it's in the business of reconsecrating churches (at least not before a crucial referendum vote that was held on Sept. 12).
Either way, after everything that was said and done, the cross in now up. More details here.
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