The Crucified Christ is tradition of our Church
The presence of our Crucified Lord Jesus Christ behind the Holy Altar Table is tradition of our Church. This was ratified by the Orthodox Church of Greece with a relevant decision in 2025, while undoubtedly, as Orthodox Christians, we have received this tradition from our venerable holy fathers of our Church. Thus, we grew up with the sight of the Crucified Christ within the Holy Sanctuary.
To the glory of God, this centuries-old tradition is also sealed by the history of our Church, with two historical evidences that testify to the presence of our Crucified Christ behind the Holy Altar Table.
The presence of the Crucified in Hagia Sophia since the 6th century
In the Holy Sanctuary of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, a large gilded Holy Cross was preserved from the 6th century until the Fall of the Polis by the Latins in 1204. The Holy Cross (i.e. the Crucified Christ) was located behind the Holy Altar Table and further behind was the Synthron. This historical evidence is described in the book by Eugenios Michael Antoniadis (1908) “Ekfrasis of Hagia Sophia” (pp. 125-126).
The miracle of the Crucified Christ in Hagia Sophia in 1200
The second historical testimony comes from Saint Anthony, Archbishop of Novgorod, on his journey to Constantinople in the year 1200, as a monk at that time and later elected Archbishop of Novgorod, Russia (1210-1229). This testimony, in addition to confirming the presence of the Crucified Christ behind the Holy Altar Table in Hagia Sophia, as the tradition of our Church, also recounts the remarkable miracle of the Holy and Life-giving Cross, which Saint Anthony himself and a multitude of believers experienced.
The miracle, as recorded by the Saint, with the Grace of the Holy Spirit, was accomplished for the glory of God within the Holy Sanctuary of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in the year 1200, on May 21, the commemoration of Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles, on Sunday of the Holy 318 Fathers of our Church. The Emperor was Alexios III Angelos (1195-1203) and the Patriarch of Constantinople was John X Kamateros (1198-1206).
Specifically, after the Orthros and before the Divine Liturgy, the small-sized Holy Cross of Justinian (1 ½ cubits), which was on the Holy Altar Table, was hovered and reached above the large gilded Holy Cross (with a height greater than two men), which was placed behind the Holy Altar Table, and further behind was the Synthron. After this miraculous hover, the Holy Cross returned to its place.
This historical reference to the miracle of the Crucified Christ in Hagia Sophia is included in various historical sources, two of which are: “Itinéraires russes en Orient (1889) p.94-95” and “The church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople: a study of Byzantine building (1894) p.104-105”.
Epilogue
In our present dire time, of the lack of respect and fear of God, days of apostasy of the clergy and laity, days prophesied by many of our holy fathers, such as Patrokosmas (Prophecy 57) and Abba Pambo (Gerontikon A'), especially in such days, our Lord never abandons His faithful children and provides divine protection and consolation.
Thus, today it is confirmed that our Crucified Christ, already nine centuries ago, with this inconceivable divine sign of His within the Holy Sanctuary of Hagia Sophia, took care to offer us divine consolation and to seal that this present-day scandalous expulsion of the Crucified Christ from the Holy Sanctuary (which essentially began in 2022) is nothing other than a new misbelief.
May the Grace and protection of the Holy and Life-giving Cross guard us.
Amen!
Nikolaos Markou
Translation from the original article in Greek
References
[1] Eugenios Michael Antoniadis (1908) “Ekfrasis of Hagia Sophia” (pp. 125-126), https://medusa.libver.gr/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=search&p=2cafc322-e6e4-433a-9fcf-b8b0e4d5c7da#recordId=3.1279&srchDb=3
[2] Bob Atchison, Antony of Novgorod Description of Hagia Sophia in 1200, https://www.pallasweb.com/deesis/anthony-of-novgorod-description-of-hagia-sophia.html
[3] W. R. Lethaby & Harold Swainson (1894), The church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople: a study of Byzantine building, p.104-105, https://archive.org/details/gri_33125001110812/page/104/mode/2up
[4] Khitrowo, B. De (1889), Itinéraires russes en Orient, Société de l'Orient latin, p.94-95, Paris, France, https://archive.org/details/itinerairesrusse00khit/page/n3/mode/2up