The length of the suspension for the masses is currently uncertain.
Pay raise dispute halts rituals at Istanbul church
ISTANBUL
In a rare occasion, masses have been suspended due to a dispute over the salary of the church reader, known as “muganni,” at the Aya Yorgi Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district.
Haberin Devamı
The Derkon Metropolitan Bishop Apostolos Danilidis announced the decision in a message to church officials, citing the failure to pay the reader's legally mandated salary.
According to local media reports, the dispute arose when a 10,000 Turkish Lira raise was requested for the reader, Statoula Zafiridis, who currently receives a monthly salary of 71,750 liras.
The request was denied, leading to the suspension of liturgies starting Feb. 7. As a result, no service was held the following Sunday, Feb. 9.
Additionally, claims have surfaced that some church members opposed the raise because the reader, Zafiridis, is the spouse of Daniil Zafiridis, a priest serving under Bishop Apostolos Danilidis.
