“War is always destructive. To remain silent in the face of the cruelty of war is a shame! It is our duty and mission to defend and promote peace,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew participated in the International Summit for peace in Ukraine on the two days of June 15 and 16 in Burgenstock, Switzerland.
“War is always destructive. To remain silent in the face of the cruelty of war is a shame! It is our duty and mission to defend and promote peace” said the Ecumenical Patriarch in his brief greeting to then recall the seventh Beatitude of the Gospel according to Matthew: “Blessed are the peacemakers”.
Referring to the granting of Autocephalous status to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Mr. Bartholomew emphasized that the Ecumenical Patriarchate responded “to the pastoral needs of Orthodox believers in Ukraine,” because, as he added at another point, “we firmly believe that Orthodox Christians in Ukraine are entitled to have their own ecclesial voice.”
Concluding his greeting he noted: “We are here, all of us, to support a just and lasting peace in a sovereign Ukraine. May God rest all those who tragically lost their lives and give strength to all those who defend peace.”
On the sidelines of his participation in the International Summit, the Ecumenical Patriarch had the opportunity to meet and talk with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Presidents of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, France Emmanuel Macron and Georgia Salome Zourabisvili, the Prime Minister of the Vatican State cardinal Pietro Parolin, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as well as other leaders and representatives of states and organizations, including the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and the president of the Fiji Islands, William Katonivere, whom he thanked for the protection of the small orthodox missionary community in his country.
About 100 states and international organizations participated in the International Summit for peace in Ukraine through high-level representatives. The Ecumenical Patriarch was the only religious leader who participated in the conference, following an official invitation from the president of Switzerland, Viola Amherd.
The Ecumenical Patriarch was accompanied to Burgenstock by the metropolitans of Geron Chalkidonos Emmanuel and Maximos of Switzerland as well as the great ecclesiastic Aetios, director of the Special Patriarchal Office.
Late in the evening of Sunday, June 16, Mr. Bartholomeus returned by air from Zurich to Constantinople, where he was received by the patriarchal commissioner, Metropolitan of Geron Derko, Mr. Apostolos, and the Grand Archdeacon, Mr. Alexandros.
Source :Skai
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