Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Annual Synaxis of the Brotherhood ‘Panagia Pammakaristos’
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, on the evening of Saturday, 31 January, attended and blessed the Annual Synaxis of the Brotherhood of the Archons of the Holy Great Church of Christ, “Panagia Pammakaristos,” which, on the occasion of the Patriarchal visit, was held in Thessaloniki for the first time.
In his address, His All-Holiness referred to the significant contribution of the Archons to the work of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, describing them as devoted and dynamic collaborators in the Church’s social and cultural mission and, more broadly, in her witness in the world. He then emphasised, among other things, the following:
“Never has the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarded closure and inward-looking isolation as a consistent expression or application of the tradition and ethos of the Church. Moreover, wherever such indifference toward the world has been practiced, it has benefited neither the world nor the Church. The view that the role of the Church is to concern herself exclusively with spiritual matters and that she has no voice regarding the course of human affairs is entirely misguided, for it ignores history, the unique testimony of philanthropy and brotherhood borne by the Church, as well as her contemporary public presence.
Never has our Church ignored the signs of the times, nor has she been indifferent to the problems and positive prospects of each era, to the contradictions and the advances of culture and of cultures. Even today, the Orthodox faith remains a source of inspiration and creativity in all aspects of social life. For without reference of human affairs to God as a transcendent point of reference, these risk being transformed into a jumble of mutually conflicting elements and self-negating particularities. It has been written that forgetfulness of the transcendent dimension leads to a dulling of the sense of the inviolability of human dignity.
Clearly, there is no end to the struggle for a better and more just world. The Church is called in every age to articulate her own philanthropic witness, to proclaim the Christian understanding of the human person, to emphasise that in our existence there are dimensions inaccessible to scientific knowledge, and to remind those who exercise political and economic power of their moral and social responsibility.”
This was followed by an exceptionally engaging address delivered by the invited keynote speaker of the event, Mr Evangelos Venizelos, Emeritus Professor and former Deputy Prime Minister of the Hellenic Government.
Earlier, His All-Holiness was warmly addressed by Mr Athanasios Martinos, President of the Board of Directors of the Brotherhood, while Mr Evangelos Chronis, member of the Board and Director of Public Relations, read a statement expressing the Brotherhood’s support for the Ecumenical Patriarch, who was recently targeted by a Russian service.
The event was coordinated by Mr Konstantinos Delikostantis, Secretary General of the Brotherhood, who also briefly referred to several of its initiatives, while Archon chanters chanted ecclesiastical hymns.
Numerous members of the Brotherhood were present, along with figures from the political, academic, social, and business life of Thessaloniki.
Photographs: Nikos Papachristou
H αναδημοσίευση του παραπάνω άρθρου ή μέρους του επιτρέπεται μόνο αν αναφέρεται ως πηγή το ORTHODOXIANEWSAGENCY.GR με ενεργό σύνδεσμο στην εν λόγω καταχώρηση.
Ακολούθησε το ORTHODOXIANEWSAGENCY.gr στο Google News και μάθε πρώτος όλες τις ειδήσεις.
