Hagia Sophia

[son_of_angels]

I agree, it should at least be restored to Christian worship. However, as a personal aside, I would mention that, as the EU is a Western collection of states, it only makes sense that it should be restored to the Byzantine Catholic Church, and not to some nonsensical "Orthodox" (though I hesitate at the term) schismatic group. This would be a sign of their true sincerity to the West.

[Myles Domini]

The bulls of Humbert and Cerularius carry ceremonial importance only. At the time they provoked no such consternation as they do now. Urban II wrote East to the Byzantines to make sure there was no schism before he launched the First Crusade (does everyone forget that he was going to the aid of the Constantinopolitan Basileus 50 years after the so called 'schism'). The schism was back dated because of hatred generated by the Fourth Crusade. Replacing Constantinople's stolen treasures is far more likely to generate a feeling of goodwill, which is why getting back the Church itself, is much more important than setting up an ecumenical altar.

INXC
Myles

[Fidei Defensor]

Kind of cool, as I was reading this thread, about the Hagia Sophia being a symbol of the union of the East and the West, and the Church breathing with two lungs, the song I was listening to (Veni veni Emmanuel) got to the high part of the song (its a chant) and it set a really cool feeling, thinking about union between the Churches.