The Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Jerome, briefed the Permanent Holy Synod today on the letters he sent to the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine on March 2, as well as to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. on the 4th of March, expressing on the one hand the grief and anguish for the aggressive war being waged against Ukraine and on the other hand the help and solidarity of the Church of Greece for the provision of humanitarian aid to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and especially to the of the war Ukrainian refugees.
This assistance was confirmed by His Beatitude in a telephone conversation with the Prelate of the Church of Ukraine Epiphanius last Friday, March 11.
Besides, His Beatitude informed the DIS about all the developments regarding the actions of the Church of Greece and the support to the tested people of Ukraine.
The members of the ICC, according to the statement issued, find that what is happening in Ukraine shows our failure as human beings and especially as Christians to live in the peace that Christ has left us (John 14:27: “Peace be with you.” ειρήνην την εμήν δίδωμι υμίν »).
The ICC, as noted in the statement, as it did in the past during the war and the violent invasion of Serbia, Kosovo, etc., emphasizes that even in the case of invasion of Ukraine, war can never be a solution to any human differences, no matter how important they are, on a social, national or global level and that is why it calls for a pan-army of prayer for wars.
In addition, it is pointed out that the Church of Greece, in good cooperation with the competent Ministry of Immigration Policy, has already set up structures of the Archdiocese and Metropolises, hostels of the Civic Non-Profit Company “Coexistence” and the Charitable Organization “Mission” throughout Greece of the State for the hosting of Ukrainian refugees, especially children and unaccompanied minors, while at the same time many Dioceses in collaboration with charities and organizations are collecting humanitarian material.
At the same time, he appointed the Committee of the Church of Greece, which consists of the metropolitans of Serres and Nigritis Theologos and Thessalyotidos and Phanariofersalon Timotheos, the bishop of Oreos Filotheos, chief secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, Synogos Theorgos Church of Greece and its secretary the second secretary-record writer of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Serapion Michalakis, so that together with the appointed delegation of the Church of Crete to cooperate for the resolution of important issues with competent persons of the State.
Subsequently, the DIS was informed by a letter from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew about the appointment of Metropolitan Theodoretos of Laodicea as the new director of the Representation Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens.
The whole letter of Archbishop Jerome to the Patriarch of Moscow Cyril:
“Blessed and Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, in the Christ of God, very dear and adventurous brother and collaborator of our Mediocrity, Mr. Cyril, the Exalted Blessing in the Lord is swallowed up, we proudly say.
After much concern and a heavy heart, we are watching the tragic developments of the war, which are taking place during these days in the country of Ukraine. The continuous attacks and the successive waves of bombings, decided and ordered by the Russian leadership, to make the Ukrainian land, day by day, a “place of suffering”, after grief from the resulting deaths and ruins. Unfortunately, not only the people are persecuted, but also vital infrastructure, historical buildings, cultural monuments, and even temples, such as the Orthodox Cathedral of Kharkov, are destroyed.
The Church of Greece strongly feels the duty to raise a voice of protest in favor of all, as it should not be, victims of the war and in favor of all those who are persecuted. He mourns for those who were killed, but also for those who are still being tried and persecuted for their wickedness, intolerance and barbarism.
The Church of Greece, bound by long-lasting and unbreakable bonds of love and friendship in Christ after the sister Orthodox Church in Russia, addresses the warmest church to the Blessed Sacrament and embraced the Most Holy Church of Russia and on its behalf. Lent, resist the war plans of secular leaders and be sure that the intervention of the Blessed Sacrament for the above purpose will be catalytic. This ecclesiastical intervention and the practical testimony of love, peace and reconciliation provide hope for the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
In addition, this intervention on the part of the Blessed Sacrament will make a decisive contribution to the further increase of the dynamism of the Orthodox Churches in the modern world, as the war between the Orthodox Nations has left our solidarity as Christians, first and foremost to proclaim peace, however we do not put it into practice, causing a variety of negative consequences regarding prestige and the general presence of the Orthodox Church, inter-Christian and worldwide.
Blessed are you
Bearing in mind the weight of the Sunday speech, “Whoever says, ‘Lord, Lord, enters into the kingdom of heaven, but whose will is the will of my Father who is in heaven'” (Matt. 7:21), we conclude this, Addressing a fervent prayer to You, for the constant alignment of You and us to the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ for the love, philadelphia and practical application of the Apostolic remark: “You are the body of Christ and members of Him” (AD Cor. 12, 27).
There is an insurmountable need in these critical hours to affirm this self-consciousness of the Orthodox Church as the one and indivisible Body of Christ, contributing in the bond of love to the supremacy of peace, that is, Christ. In this way, the Orthodox Church will emerge as the most genuine and powerful peacemaker between the two peoples, the Russian and the Ukrainian, participants in common traditions for centuries, but mainly in the Orthodox Faith of the Holy Apostolic Church.
Nevertheless, and by swallowing the Immortal beloved Happiness kissing holy, we are
Dear brother in Christ “.
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