“The pacifist action of religions today depends on the peace of the religions themselves, on the dialogue of religions and the cooperation of the good of man,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who announced the opening of the international conference on the completion (in 2021) of 30 years of his ministry, which is organized by the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Patriarchal Foundation for Patriarchal Studies.
“We are witnessing this dialogue in the belief that we are contributing to the strengthening of trust, to the power and effectiveness of dialogue in general, but also to tackling counter-dialogue religious fundamentalism, this morbid religiosity that fuels hatred and violence.” , he added.
Speaking at the inaugural session, which took place in the ceremony hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed that in the true religious faith, there are motives for contributing, not only to internal, spiritual peace, but also to external peace and overcoming aggression and violence. in the society.
Mr. Bartholomew praised the offer and the diverse activities of the Patriarchal Institute of Patriarchal Studies, based in the monastery of Vlatada on the Acropolis of Thessaloniki, which was characterized as a boast of the Great Church.
He pointed out that the study of the Fathers of the Church is not a turning point in the past, since they belong to the core of our Orthodox life and identity and dealing with them does not produce conservatism. “Those devout and foreigners who saw the study of paternal thought as barren adherence to outdated theological standards … or even as an ideological weapon against the Ecumenical Dialogues, did not understand their spirit and dynamism,” he said.
He stressed that modern Orthodox theology owes a lot to Mount Athos and added that monasticism is not a movement despite the Church, or above the Church, but flesh from its flesh and its boast. “The solitary life is an ascetic obedience to the universal truth of the Church and to its direction towards the coming Kingdom,” he noted.
The Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out that modern times need a theological testimony that does not narrow the mind and heart, but opens the horizons. He spoke of “ten-theologians”, people with training and devotion to the Church, who are called to express “the saving truths of the Christian faith in the language of every particular age.”
Orthodox theology “currently bears its philotheistic and philanthropic testimony to the great contemporary challenges, technological, economic, environmental, social, political, cultural, moral and religious, and the related threats to the sanctity and beauty of humanity. of individualism, community and relationship, in the face of the massification and transformation of man into a measurable size, the freedom, uniqueness and absolute value of every human being, underlines the pacifying power and the peace mission of religion and the necessity of interfaith dialogue. underlined.
He referred to the need for the creative encounter with the different and the more consistent knowledge and cultivation of our culture to coexist. “We owe it to him to develop a theology of difference in relation to a theology of universality,” he said.
Mr. Bartholomew pointed out that dialogue with the world in which the Church lives and moves is necessary, “but it does not identify with it, nor does it ignore it.” He stressed that the Church “is a transforming force for the world, not anti-world”.
The Ministry of Interior, the Macedonia-Thrace sector, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the metropolises of Thessaloniki, the Society for Macedonian Studies and the Philoptochos Men’s Brotherhood of Thessaloniki collaborated in organizing the conference.
The “present” was given by the Deputy Minister of Interior, in charge of Macedonia-Thrace, Stavros Kalafatis, the Deputy Minister of Education and Religions, Zeta Makri, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos, the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Anthimos, the Regional The mayor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, the US ambassador to Greece, George Tsounis, the rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Nikos Papaioannou, the former deputy prime minister, Evangelos Venizelos, MPs, hierarchs and representatives of authorities.
The recognition of the Archdiocese of Ohrid was emphasized by the Metropolitan of Chalcedon, Emmanuel
The Metropolitan of Chalcedon Emmanuel characterized the move of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to recognize the Church of Skopje as the Archdiocese of Ohrid as a brave and philanthropic action and added that this is another schism that was healed at the Patriarchate of Bartholomew.
In his speech at the international conference on the 30 years of service of the Ecumenical Patriarch, in the ceremony hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in the presence of Mr. Bartholomew, he pointed out that the Patriarch exceeded all good expectations for his ministry and added that what distinguishes him as a personality great Patriarch among his predecessors is his unconditional and unlimited devotion to the responsibilities bequeathed to him by the sacred rules and the tradition of the Church.
He added that the granting of the so-called autocephaly is one of the responsibilities that Mr. Bartholomew takes care of carefully and diligently and which had been attempted in the past to be sacrificed, on the altar of a confederation of the Orthodox Church to an individual without a head.
“With true courtesy, with nobility and morality, but above all not putting anything above his genuine love for the universal institution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for more than thirty years, he works day and night, studies and seeks all this in the light of the need to reorganize everything. wrong of the past “, he underlined.
He stressed that the Ecumenical Patriarch loves the Church of Christ with passion and strength, “he does not govern on the basis of the pastoral, temporary, here and now interest, but invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit, he constantly cultivates the permanent, the useful and not the useful” .
Mr. Emmanuel pointed out that in his speech he tried to show “what pseudology and propaganda are trying to hide, that the Ecumenical Patriarch lives and moves only for the Church of Christ and the responsibilities of his throne, which he defends with all his might.” its existence ”.
Greetings St. Kalafati, A. Tzitzikosta, K. Zerva and Archbishop Ieronymos
The government’s support for the Ecumenical Patriarch was expressed by the Deputy Minister of Interior, in charge of Macedonian Affairs, Thrace, Stavros Kalafatis, during his address to the international conference on the 30 years of service of Mr. Bartholomew, at the Funeral Hall.
“Every reason is too little to express the feelings of joy, honor and gratitude”, Mr. Kalafatis pointed out and added that Saint Paisios had characterized the Ecumenical Patriarch as the best God has given to Orthodoxy.
His presence at the enthronement of Mr. Bartholomew, in 1991, was remembered by the governor of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, for whom he said that he gave meaning to the word ecumenism with his personality.
He added that Mr. Bartholomew is a stable and timeless voice of reason and gives a huge fight to defend the rights of the Patriarchate and the values it stands for.
For his part, the mayor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, praised the multifaceted work of Mr. Bartholomew, emphasizing that he has made a decisive contribution “to the promotion of inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogue in a spirit of reconciliation, solidarity and peace.” He also expressed his gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch for the historic, as he characterized it, decision to resolve the ecclesiastical issue of the Church of Skopje with its recognition as the “Archdiocese of Ohrid”.
The Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Nikolaos Papaioannou, referred to the offer of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, which is, as he characteristically said, “multifaceted, with a universal dimension and international recognition, in the Church, theology, society, man and is a source of inspiration for University “.
The congratulatory wishes of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece to the participants of the conference were conveyed by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos.
He stressed that the Ecumenical Patriarch is a “preacher and apostle” of the secret joy and hope that the Risen Lord “will remove every tear from our eyes” and wished Jesus to give him “in many years, lead and Christ given to the patriarch. very simply in truth, usefulness and justice ”.
The Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, Anthimos, referred to the respect, love and gratitude of the clergy, the people and the institutional agents of Thessaloniki to the Ecumenical Patriarch, in his greeting which was read by the first council of the diocese.
The dean of the Theological School, Chrysostomos Stamoulis, the bishop of Amori, president of the Patriarchal Institute of Patriarchal Studies, Nikiforos, the president of the Society for Macedonian Studies, Vassilios Pappikos and the vice-president of Filotipos, Adilotos Filidos, also addressed a greeting.
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