Catholic World News News Feature
German Church leaders ask Turkey to build church in Tarsus December 20, 2007
German Catholic leaders, supported by their country's government, have petitioned the government of Turkey to allow the construction of a church in Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul.
In an interview with the magazine Cicero, Cardinal Karl Lehman, the president of the German bishops' conference, mentioned the appeal. He disclosed that Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne had introduced the petition to Turkish Prime Minister Recip Erdogan, with support from the Christian Democratic Union.
Cardinal Lehmann told Cicero that Islamic countries should be pressed to allow greater religious freedom for their Christian minorities. "While it's possible to build a mosque taller than St. Peter's in Rome," he pointed out, "I'd be arrested for celebrating Holy Mass in Saudi Arabia."
Ways to
Get
Involved
-
Catholic Credit Card
Donates 1% of total bill.
-
Buy through Amazon
We earn up to 7.5% when you use our link.
-
Direct Donations
CatholicCulture.org depends on your help.
-
Learn More
There are many ways to help CatholicCulture.org.