His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America will preside over the Divine Liturgy on Sunday May 17, 2015, at the Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou.
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Prot. No. 346
+ B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Peace and Mercy from Christ, who has Risen in Glory Brother concelebrants and beloved children in the Lord, Christ is Risen! All Orthodox Christians once again this year joyously celebrate The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and chant: “We celebrate the death of death, the destruction of Hades, and the beginning of another, eternal way of living. And so we jubilantly praise the Cause.” (Troparion from the Paschal Canon) Yet, while we gladly celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection as the reality of life and hope, all around us in the world, we can hear the cries and threats of death launched in many parts of the planet by those who believe that they can resolve human conflicts by destroying their enemies, which in itself constitutes the greatest proof of their weakness. For, by causing the death of another, by taking revenge on our neighbor, on whosoever differs from us, neither is the world improved nor are our problems solved. After all, as everyone – especially the intellectual people of all periods – admits and recognizes, evil is never overcome by evil, but always by good. Problems are genuinely resolved when we acknowledge and acclaim the value of every human person and when we respect their rights. By contrast, all kinds of problems are created and exacerbated when we despise human beings and violate their rights, especially when it comes to the vulnerable, who must feel secure, while the powerful must be just in order for peace to exist. Therefore, Christ arose from the dead and demonstrated in this way as well the inability of death to prevail and bring about any stable change in the world. The various situations caused by death can be reversed because, despite how things appear, they are always temporary, having no root or vitality, whereas Christ, who has forever conquered death, is invisibly always present. We, who have our hope in Him, believe that the right of life belongs to all people. Life and Resurrection are only offered by Jesus Christ, who has trodden on death and on its power over people; this is why we should only hope in Him and His teaching. Faith in Christ leads to Resurrection, to the Resurrection of all of us, while our faith and application of His teaching lead to the salvation of all, as well as to the confrontation of every challenge in our world. Beloved brothers and children, the message of the Resurrection, this transcendence of human weakness, is the message of life over the world’s corruption and humanity’s adventure. It is to this message that we invite all people – from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where by God’s mercy we serve as Primate of Orthodox love in truth – so that they may come to knowledge and experience, convinced that only in this way will they also rediscover our true hope, and the hope of the whole world, which was stolen from us in the turmoil of confusion. May the light of the Resurrection illumine the hearts of all of you so that you may rejoice with all people in love, peace and concord through the Son and Word of God, who is the Light of the world, the Truth and the Life. To Him alone, who arose from the dead, the Lord of glory, “who lords over life and rules over death,” who lives to the ages and “grants life to those in the tombs,” belong glory, honor and thanksgiving. Amen. Phanar, Holy Pascha 2015 + Bartholomew of Constantinople Your fervent supplicant before the Risen Christ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΑΠΟΔΕΙΞΙΣ ΕΠΙ Τῼ ΑΓΙΩι ΠΑΣΧΑ 2015
Ἀριθμ. Πρωτ. 346 † Β Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ ΕΛΕΩι ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ – ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΠΑΝΤΙ ΤΩι ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ, ΕΙΡΗΝΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΕΟΣ ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΔΟΞΩΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ Ἀδελφοί συλλειτουργοί καί τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά, Χριστός Ἀνέστη! Ὅλοι οἱ Ὀρθόδοξοι πιστοί ἑορτάζομεν καί ἐφέτος χαρμοσύνως τήν Ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καί ψάλλομεν: «Θανάτου ἑορτάζομεν νέκρωσιν, Ἅδου τήν καθαίρεσιν, ἄλλης βιοτῆς τῆς αἰωνίου ἀπαρχήν∙ καί σκιρτῶντες ὑμνοῦμεν τόν Αἴτιον» (τροπάριον τοῦ Κανόνος τῆς Ἀναστάσεως). Καί ἐνῷ ἡμεῖς χαρμοσύνως ἑορτάζομεν τήν Ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Κυρίου, ὡς πραγματικότητα ζωῆς καί ἐλπίδος, πέριξ ἡμῶν, ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἀκούομεν τάς κραυγάς καί τάς ἀπειλάς τοῦ θανάτου, τάς ὁποίας ἐκτοξεύουν ἐκ πολλῶν σημείων τῆς γῆς ἐκεῖνοι οἱ ὁποῖοι πιστεύουν ὅτι δύνανται νά λύσουν τάς διαφοράς τῶν ἀνθρώπων διά τῆς θανατώσεως τῶν ἀντιπάλων, γεγονός τό ὁποῖον καί ἀποτελεῖ τήν μεγαλυτέραν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἀδυναμίας των. Διότι, διά τῆς προκλήσεως τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ συνανθρώπου, διά τῆς ἐκδικητικότητος κατά τοῦ ἑτέρου, τοῦ διαφορετικοῦ, δέν βελτιώνεται ὁ κόσμος, οὔτε ἐπιλύονται τά προβλήματα τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Εἶναι, ἄλλωστε, ὑπό πάντων παραδεκτόν καί ἀναγνωριζόμενον, ἰδιαιτέρως δέ ὑπό τῶν σκεπτομένων ἀνθρώπων πάσης ἐποχῆς, ὅτι τό κακόν νικᾶται διά τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καί οὐδέποτε διά τοῦ κακοῦ. Τά προβλήματα ἐπιλύονται ἀληθῶς διά τῆς ἀναγνωρίσεως καί τῆς τιμῆς τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ προσώπου καί διά τοῦ σεβασμοῦ τῶν δικαιωμάτων του. Καί ἀντιστρόφως, τά παντός εἴδους προβλήματα δημιουργοῦνται καί ὀξύνονται ἐκ τῆς περιφρονήσεως τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου καί τῆς καταπατήσεως τῶν δικαίων αὐτοῦ, ἰδιαιτέρως τοῦ ἀδυνάτου, ὁ ὁποῖος πρέπει νά δύναται νά αἰσθάνεται ἀσφαλής καί ὁ ἰσχυρός νά εἶναι δίκαιος διά νά ὑπάρξῃ εἰρήνη. Ἀλλά ὁ Χριστός ἀνέστη ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν καί ἀπέδειξε καί μέ αὐτόν τόν τρόπον τήν ἀδυναμίαν τοῦ θανάτου νά ἐπικρατήσῃ καί νά ἐπιφέρῃ σταθεράν μεταβολήν εἰς τόν κόσμον. Αἱ δημιουργούμεναι διά τοῦ θανάτου καταστάσεις εἶναι ἀναστρέψιμοι, διότι, παρά τά φαινόμενα, εἶναι προσωριναί, δέν ἔχουν ρίζαν καί ἰκμάδα, ἐνῷ ἀοράτως παρών εἶναι ὁ πάντοτε νικήσας τόν θάνατον Χριστός. Ἡμεῖς, οἱ ἔχοντες τήν ἐλπίδα μας εἰς Αὐτόν, πιστεύομεν ὅτι τό δικαίωμα τῆς ζωῆς ἀνήκει εἰς ὅλους τούς ἀνθρώπους. Ἡ Ζωή καί ἡ Ἀνάστασις προσφέρονται ὑπό τοῦ πατήσαντος τόν θάνατον καί τήν ἰσχύν αὐτοῦ ἐπί τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καί εἰς Αὐτόν μόνον καί εἰς τήν διδασκαλίαν Του ὁ ἄνθρωπος πρέπει νά ἐλπίζῃ. Ἡ πίστις εἰς τόν Χριστόν ὁδηγεῖ εἰς τήν Ἀνάστασιν, εἰς τήν Ἀνάστασιν πάντων ἡμῶν, ἡ πίστις καί ἡ ἐφαρμογή τῆς διδασκαλίας Του εἰς τήν ζωήν μας ὁδηγοῦν εἰς τήν σωτηρίαν πάντων ἡμῶν, ἀλλά καί εἰς τήν ἀντιμετώπισιν τῶν προβλημάτων μας ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἀδελφοί καί τέκνα, Τό μήνυμα τῆς Ἀναστάσεως, ἡ ὑπέρβασις αὕτη τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀδυναμίας, εἶναι τό κήρυγμα τῆς ζωῆς ἔναντι τῆς φθορᾶς τοῦ κόσμου καί τῆς περιπετείας τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, καί εἰς αὐτό προσκαλοῦμεν ἀπό τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, ἡμεῖς ὁ ἐλέῳ Θεοῦ Προκαθήμενος τῆς ἐν ἀληθείᾳ Ὀρθοδόξου ἀγάπης, πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἰς γνῶσιν καί βίωσιν, φρονοῦντες ὅτι μόνον δι’ αὐτοῦ θά ἐπανευρεθῇ ἡ «κλαπεῖσα» ὑπό τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης συγχύσεως «ἐλπίς ἡμῶν» καί τοῦ κόσμου παντός. Εἴθε τό φῶς τῆς Ἀναστάσεως νά φωτίζῃ τάς καρδίας ὅλων διά νά χαίρωνται ὁμοῦ μετά τῶν συνανθρώπων των ἐν ἀγάπῃ, εἰρήνῃ καί ὁμονοίᾳ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ καί Λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ Ὁποῖος εἶναι τό Φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, ἡ Ἀλήθεια καί ἡ Ζωή. Αὐτῷ μόνῳ, τῷ Ἀναστάντι ἐκ νεκρῶν Κυρίῳ τῆς δόξης, τῷ «ζωῆς κυριεύοντι καί θανάτου δεσπόζοντι», τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τούς αἰῶνας καί τοῖς «ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι ζωήν χαριζομένῳ», ἡ δόξα καί ἡ τιμή καί ἡ εὐχαριστία. Ἀμήν. Φανάριον, Ἅγιον Πάσχα, βιε΄ (2015) † ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ΒΑΡΘΟΛΟΜΑΙΟΣ διάπυρος πρός Χριστόν Ἀναστάντα εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν Ἀριθμ. Πρωτ. 133 + Β Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ ΕΛΕῼ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ - ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΠΑΝΤΙ Τῼ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ, ΧΑΡΙΣ ΕΙΗ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΡΗΝΗ ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ, ΠΑΡ᾿ HΜΩΝ ΔΕ ΕΥΧΗ, ΕΥΛΟΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΣΥΓΧΩΡΗΣΙΣ *** «Τὸ στάδιον τῶν ἀρετῶν ἠνέῳκται· οἱ βουλόμενοι ἀθλῆσαι εἰσέλθετε» (στιχηρὸν ἰδιόμελον τοῦ Τριῳδίου, Κυριακὴ τῆς Τυρινῆς). Ἀδελφοὶ καὶ Τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά, Ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐγκεντρίζει ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ σῶμα Του καὶ μᾶς καλεῖ νὰ γίνωμεν ἅγιοι «ὅτι ἐγώ», λέγει, «ἅγιός εἰμι» (Α΄ Πέτρ. α΄, 16). Ἐπιθυμεῖ ὁ Πλάστης μας νὰ ἔχωμεν κοινωνίαν μαζί Του καὶ νὰ γευθῶμεν τῆς χάριτός Του, νὰ μετάσχωμεν δηλαδὴ τῆς ἁγιότητός Του. Ἡ κοινωνία μὲ τὸν Θεὸν εἶναι ζωὴ μετανοίας καὶ ἁγιότητος, ἡ δὲ ἀπομάκρυνσις ἐξ Αὐτοῦ, ἡ ἁμαρτία, ταυτίζεται ἀπὸ τοὺς Πατέρας τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μὲ τὴν «κακίαν τῆς καρδίας». Ἡ «ἁμαρτία οὐκ ἔστι τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλὰ τῆς κακῆς προαιρέσεως» (Θεοδωρήτου Κύρου, Διάλογος Α΄- Immutabilis, P.G. 83, 40D) ἢ τοῦ κακοῦ πνεύματος καὶ «οὐδεὶς πίστιν ἐπαγγελλόμενος ἁμαρτάνει», κατὰ τὸν Θεοφόρον Ἰγνάτιον. Ἡ ἁγιότης εἶναι ἰδιότης τοῦ Κυρίου, ὁ Ὁποῖος εἶναι ὁ «προσφέρων καὶ προσφερόμενος καὶ προσδεχόμενος καὶ διαδιδόμενος». Ὁ κατὰ χάριν ἱερουργὸς τοῦ Μυστηρίου τῆς Θείας Εὐχαριστίας προσφέρει εἰς τοὺς πιστοὺς «τὰ ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις», Σῶμα καὶ Αἷμα Χριστοῦ, καὶ λαμβάνει ἀμέσως παρὰ τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων τὴν ἀπόκρισιν εἰς τὴν προσφορὰν ὅτι: «εἷς ἅγιος, εἷς Κύριος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός», ὁ «ἐσθιόμενος καὶ μηδέποτε δαπανώμενος, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μετέχοντας ἁγιάζων». Εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου νὰ ἐπιτύχῃ τὸ «καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν» μὲ τὸν Θεόν, διὰ τὸ ὁποῖον ἐδημιουργήθη, τὴν ἁγιότητα δηλαδή, ἡ ἀποβλέπουσα ἀποκλειστικῶς καὶ μόνον εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου Μία, Ἁγία, Καθολικὴ καὶ Ἀποστολικὴ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία «θεοπρεπῶς ἐδογμάτισε» μίαν περίοδον τοῦ ἔτους ὡς περίοδον ἰδιαιτέρας προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως πρὸς κατευνασμὸν τῶν παθῶν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος. Ἡ περίοδος αὕτη εἶναι ἡ ἀρχομένη ἀπὸ τῆς αὔριον σωτήριος προετοιμασία διὰ τὸ «Πάσχα τὸ μέγα καὶ ἱερώτατον Χριστοῦ». Εἶναι ἡ Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή, τὴν ὁποίαν πρέπει νὰ βιώσωμεν «δέησιν προσάγοντες καὶ ἄφεσιν αἰτοῦντες», ὥστε νὰ γευθῶμεν ἀληθῶς τὸ Πάσχα «μετὰ πάντων τῶν Ἁγίων», γινόμενοι «ἅγιοι», διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὅτι εἴμεθα «σκεύη κεραμέως» συνθλιβόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ καθ᾿ ἡμέραν, «πίπτοντες καὶ ἀνιστάμενοι». Νὰ ὁμολογήσωμεν δηλαδὴ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀτέλειαν καὶ ἀδυναμίαν μας καὶ τὴν ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ μηδαμινότητά μας, μετανοοῦντες καὶ ἐπαναλαμβά-νοντες ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ καὶ πρωὶ καὶ μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ καὶ πάσῃ ὥρᾳ, καίτοι «ἅγιοι» διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὅτι «εἷς Ἅγιος, εἷς Κύριος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός». Καλοῦμεν, λοιπόν, πάντας τοὺς Ὀρθοδόξους πιστούς, κληρικούς, μοναχοὺς καὶ μοναχάς, ἀδελφοὶ καὶ τέκνα, νὰ μεταβάλωμεν τὴν ζωήν μας, πάντοτε μέν, ἰδιαιτέρως δὲ κατὰ τὴν περίοδον αὐτὴν τῆς Ἁγίας καὶ Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς, εἰς ἀγαπητικὴν πρὸς τὸν πλησίον προσπάθειαν προπαρασκευῆς διὰ τὴν μετοχὴν ἐκτυπώτερον ἀπὸ τοῦδε εἰς τὴν ἀνέσπερον Βασιλείαν τοῦ Κυρίου, τὸ «καινὸν Πάσχα». Προσκαλοῦμεν τοὺς πάντας εἰς ζωὴν ἁγιότητος καὶ πνευματικοῦ ἀγῶνος διὰ νὰ χαρισθῇ εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς ὡς «δόσις ἀγαθὴ» καὶ ὡς «δώρημα τέλειον» ἡ δυνατότης τῆς ὑπερβάσεως τῆς ἁμαρτίας, διότι «πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ [...] καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται» (Α ́ Ἰωάν. γ΄, 9-10). Ἂς εἰσέλθωμεν, λοιπόν, μὲ ὅλην τὴν ψυχήν μας, μὴ σκυθρωπάζοντες, ἀλλὰ χαίροντες καὶ ἀγαλλόμενοι, εἰς τὸ πνευματικὸν τοῦτο στάδιον τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ ἂς καθοπλισθῶμεν «ἀγάπης τὴν λαμπρότητα, προσευχῆς τὴν ἀστραπήν, ἁγνείας τὴν καθαρότητα, εὐανδρίας τὴν ἰσχύν», καὶ ἂς συνοδοιπορήσωμεν μὲ τὸν Κύριον, δεόμενοι Αὐτοῦ νὰ μὴ «παρίδῃ ἡμᾶς κινδυνεύοντας τὴν ἀπ᾿ Αὐτοῦ διάστασιν» (Δοξαστικὸν τῆς Σταυροπροσκυνήσεως), ἀλλὰ νὰ μᾶς ἀξιώσῃ «ὅπως λαμπροφόροι προφθάσωμεν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ τριήμερον Ἀνάστασιν, τὴν καταλάμπουσαν ἀφθαρσίαν τῷ κόσμῳ» (ποίημα Θεοδώρου, ἀκολουθία Δευτέρας Α΄ Ἑβδομάδος Νηστειῶν). Ἀδελφοὶ καὶ τέκνα ἐν Χριστῷ, Ἡ Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστὴ εἶναι ὡς περίοδος προετοιμασίας καὶ μετανοίας φωνὴ τῆς συνειδήσεώς μας, ἡ ὁποία, ἐσωτερικὴ καὶ ἀνέκφραστος, εἶναι προσωπικὴ κρίσις. Ὅταν μᾶς εὑρίσκῃ σφάλλοντας διαμαρτύρεται ἐντονώτατα, καθότι «οὐδὲν αὐτῆς βιαιότερον ἐν κόσμῳ», κατὰ τὸν βιωματικὸν κήρυκα τῆς μετανοίας Ἅγιον Ἀνδρέαν Κρήτης. Ὅθεν, πρέπει νὰ εἰρηνεύῃ μὲ τὴν συνείδησίν του ἕκαστος, διὰ τῆς μετανοίας, ὥστε «ἐν τῷ πυρὶ τῆς συνειδήσεως νὰ προσφέρωμεν μυστικὴν ὁλοκάρπωσιν», θυσιάζοντες τὰ πάθη μας καὶ προσφέροντες αὐτὰ θυσίαν ἀγάπης πρὸς τὸν συνάνθρωπον, ὅπως ὁ Κύριος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ «τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς καὶ σωτηρίας». Τότε μόνον θὰ ἀνατείλῃ καὶ δι᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ τάφου ἡ συγγνώμη καὶ θὰ ζήσωμεν ὡς ἀνθρωπότης ἐν ἀλληλοσεβασμῷ καὶ ἀγάπῃ μακρὰν τῶν ὅσων βλέπομεν κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας φρικτῶν ἐγκλημάτων νὰ πλήττουν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν. Εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦτον ἔχομεν συμμάχους καὶ πρεσβευτὰς πάντας τούς Ἁγίους καὶ μάλιστα τὴν Παναγίαν Μητέρα τοῦ Κυρίου μας, τὴν διὰ τῶν ἱκεσιῶν της ὡς ἄλλος λουτὴρ «ἐκπλύνουσαν συνείδησιν». Ὅθεν, προτρεπόμεθα καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν, ὡς πνευματικὸς Πατὴρ τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ὀρθοδόξων πιστῶν μας, ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀλλήλους, νὰ δράμωμεν μετὰ σπουδῆς εἰς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς αὔριον ἀρχόμενον στάδιον τῶν ἀρετῶν, «μὴ ἄτοπα λογιζόμενοι, μὴ παράνομα πράττοντες», ἀλλὰ πορευόμενοι ἐν Χάριτι νὰ ἐκπλύνωμεν τὰς συνειδήσεις «γνώμῃ ἀγαθῇ» διὰ τῆς μετανοίας, ἔχοντες τὴν βεβαιότητα ὅτι οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ πάντα «τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ ἀόρατα» θὰ καταυγασθοῦν ἐν τέλει ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἡμεῖς δέ, «πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ Ναοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου» ἱστάμενοι, ἐὰν ἀξίως πολιτευθῶμεν, θὰ περιβληθῶμεν χιτῶνα φωτεινὸν μιμήσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θὰ ἀξιωθῶμεν τοῦ «καινοῦ πόματος» ἐκ τῆς Πηγῆς τῆς ἀφθαρσίας, γευόμενοι τῆς χαρᾶς τοῦ ὀλβίου τάφου τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ συνωθούμενοι ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ «ἕως τῶν κεράτων τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου», ἐν τόπῳ ὅπου «τὰ φοβερὰ τελεσιουργεῖται». Γένοιτο. Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστὴ ,βιε´ † Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Βαρθολομαῖος διάπυρος πρὸς Θεὸν εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν ADDRESS
By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew At the Conferral of an Honorary Doctorate in Sociology From the Izmir University of Economics (February 9, 2015) BUILDING BRIDGES Interfaith Dialogue, Ecological Awareness, and Culture of Solidarity Eminent Rector, Professor Oğuz Esen, Esteemed Faculty of Izmir University of Economics, Distinguished clergy, honorable diplomats and precious audience, Beloved students, ladies and gentlemen, Introduction It is a unique pleasure and a great privilege to receive an honorary doctorate from the Izmir University of Economics. You are an institution that is both young and vibrant, with creativity and productivity, committed to making a difference in our country and in the world, but also dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of the foremost statesman and first president of the Republic of Turkey, Kemal Atatürk. We therefore express our wholehearted gratitude to the administration of this university, and in particular to its Rector, Dr. Oğuz Esen, and also to the school’s administration, faculty and students, but above all to Mr. Ekrem Demirtaş, our dearest friend. We accept this generous distinction in the name of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is devoted to the areas of interfaith dialogue, ecological awareness and the culture of solidarity. Our Church has traditionally sought to build bridges between diverse faiths, cultures and peoples, between humanity and the natural environment, as well as to promote peace and solidarity in the name of God and for the sake of the human person. 1. The four functions of religion A sign of the times at the beginning of this new millennium is “the return of God”, the reevaluation of the role and function of religion. The modernistic expectation of a “post-religious secular age” is replaced by talk of a “post-secular period” or even of a “religious explosion”. Religion appears as a central dimension of human life, both at the personal and the social levels. It claims a public role and it participates in all central contemporary discourses. Without reference to religion, it is impossible to understand the past, to analyze the present, or to imagine the future of humanity. The crucial functions of religion are evident at the following four areas of the human existence and co-existence: a. Religion is connected with the deep concerns of the human being. It provides answers to crucial existential questions, which permanently affect the human soul. It gives orientation and meaning of life. This is why negligence or oppression of religiousness results in various alienations in human life. b. Religion is related to the identity of peoples and civilizations, a fact which has definitely been obvious after the fall of the “iron curtain” in 1989. Systematic atheistic ideology and indoctrination failed to uproot religious identity, which constitutes the core of cultural identity. This is why, knowledge of the belief and the religion of the other is an indispensable precondition of understanding otherness and of the establishment of communication and dialogue. c. Religions have created and preserved the greatest cultural achievements of mankind, essential moral values, and respect of human dignity and of the whole creation. The sacred texts of the religions include precious anthropological knowledge. Religion is the arc of wisdom and of the spiritual inheritance of humanity. Culture has in general the stamp of religion. Even modern humanistic secular movements, for example the human rights-movement, cannot be understood and evaluated independently of their religious roots. d. The fourth essential function of religion is peacemaking. Religions constitute central factors in peace processes. Hans Kűng puts forward that peace between religions is the main precondition for peace between peoples and civilizations, for universal peace. Religions can, of course, divide; they can cause intolerance and violence. But this is their failure, not their essence, which is the protection of human dignity. The revival of religions -if that were a regeneration and expression of their genuine elements- was always related to a contribution to reconciliation and peace. In our times, the credibility of religions depends largely on their commitment to peace. The way to peace and reconciliation is interreligious dialogue and cooperation in view of the main contemporary challenges, like the destruction of the natural environment and the growing economic and social crisis. Our world is in crisis, indeed. Yet, never before in history have human beings had the opportunity to bring so many positive changes to so many people and to the global community simply through encounter and dialogue. While it may be true that this is a time of crisis, it must equally be underlined that there has also never been greater chances for communication, cooperation and dialogue. Let us explore three distinct areas of this task: a. Building Bridges with other Faiths b. Building Bridges with Nature c. Building Bridges of Solidarity 2. Building Bridges with other Faiths There is a symbolical mosaic that adorns the foyer at the entrance to the headquarters of our Patriarchate in Istanbul. It silently represents a decisive moment in the rich and complex story of a city and a state where Christians and Muslims have coexisted over the centuries. This magnificent image depicts Gennadios Scholarios (1405-1472), first Rum Patriarch of the Ottoman period, with hand outstretched, receiving from the Sultan Mehmet II the “firman” or legal document guaranteeing the continuation and protection of the Orthodox Church. It is a symbol of the beginnings of a long coexistence and interfaith commitment. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has always been convinced of its responsibility for rapprochement and dialogue. This inspires its tireless efforts for unity among Orthodox Churches throughout the world as well as its pioneering efforts for ecumenical dialogue. All of you will be aware of our meetings during this past year with Pope Francis: In May, we met in Jerusalem to commemorate the historical meeting there of Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI in 1964; in June, we accepted the invitation of the Pope to join him in a prayer for peace at the Vatican in the presence of President Peres of Israel and President Abbas of Palestine; and in November, His Holiness accepted our invitation to attend the patronal feast of our Church in Phanar, Istanbul. However, even at the cost of defamation for “ecumenistic” or “syncretistic” choices, we have never restricted such engagements. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has always labored to serve as a bridge between Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Since 1977, it has pioneered bilateral inter-religious dialogue with the Jewish community (on such topics as law and social justice); since 1986, it has initiated bilateral interfaith dialogue with Islam (on such matters as peace and pluralism); and since 1994, it has organized international multi-faith gatherings for deeper conversations between Christians, Jews and Muslims (on such issues as respect and tolerance). We continue these efforts with sincerity and confidence. As a young boy, we remember seeing the then Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, an extraordinary leader of profound vision and ecumenical sensitivity. He was a tall man, with piercing eyes and a very long, white beard. Patriarch Athenagoras was known to resolve conflict by inviting the embattled parties to meet, saying to them: “Come, let us look one another in the eyes.” This notion of “looking at each other in the eyes” honestly, in order to understand and cooperate with one another, is both inspiring and critical for contemporary concepts of intercultural and interfaith dialogue. Of course, some people have strong convictions that they would rather sacrifice their lives than change their views. Others -we might say fundamentalists- are unfortunately even willing to take the lives of innocent victims to defend these views. This is why we are obliged to listen more carefully, “look at one another” more deeply “in the eyes.” For, in the final analysis, we are always closer to one another in more ways than we are distant from or different to one another. We share far more with each other and resemble one another far more as human beings than we differ in terms of culture and religion. A human being, which grounds its identity exclusively on belonging to a nation and not on being a member of humanity (namely, on the fact that it is human), this creature “has not been really born as a human being”, according to Eric Fromm. As communities, we are called to face the problems of our world with new eyes. We must constantly pursue alternative ways to order human affairs. We must persistently proclaim ways that reject war and violence, and instead strive for tolerance and peace. Conflict may be inevitable in our world; but war and violence are certainly not. Human perfection may be unattainable in this life, but peace is definitely not impossible. If this century will be remembered, it may be for those who sincerely dedicated themselves to the cause of peace. The pursuit, however, of peace calls for a radical reversal of what has become the normative and defensive way of survival in our world. Peace does not result from economic and cultural development, from the progress of science and technology, from high living standards. Peace is always a duty; it requires vision, commitment, struggle, sacrifice and patience. We believe that in the great religious traditions there are potentials and inexhaustible reserves of peacemaking. Yet, being able is not enough. We have to work and cooperate for peace; we have to become effective factors of human progress. 3. Building Bridges with Nature One of our most passionate concerns during our ministry as Patriarch has been protecting the natural environment, raising ecological awareness across academic disciplines, ecological movements and political governments, as well as advocating for a change in established lifestyles in order that people might become more sensitive to the irreversible destruction that threatens the natural environment today. Orthodoxy is committed to ecology; it is the “green” Church par excellence. Our faith and our worship strengthen our commitment for the protection of creation and promote the “eucharistic use” of the world, the solidarity with creation. The Orthodox Christian attitude is the opposite of the instrumentalisation and exploitation of the world. We believe that the roots of the environmental crisis are not primarily economic or political, nor technological, but profoundly and essentially religious, spiritual and moral. This is because it is a crisis about and within the human heart. The ecological crisis reflects an anthropological impasse, the spiritual crisis of contemporary man and contradictions of his rationalism, the titanism of his self-deification, the arrogance of his science and technology, the greed of his possessiveness (“the priority of having”), his individual and social eudaemonism. For Orthodoxy, sin has a cosmological dimension and impact. The theology of the Orthodox Church recognizes the natural creation as inseparable from the identity and destiny of humanity, inasmuch as every human action leaves a lasting imprint on the body of the earth. Moreover, human attitudes and behavior towards creation directly impact on and reflect human attitudes and behavior toward other people, especially the poor. Ecology is inevitably related to sociology and economy, and so all ecological activity is ultimately measured and judged by its effect upon the underprivileged and suffering of our world. The ecological problem is essentially a sociological one. We are convinced that the theological perspective cannot only discover hidden dimensions of the ecological crisis, but can also reveal possibilities to face and overcome it. What is required of us, at the threshold of the third millennium, is that we overcome the ways in which we looked upon creation in the past, which implied an abusive, domineering attitude toward the natural world. The solution of the ecological problem is not only a matter of science, technology and politics but also, and perhaps primarily, a matter of radical change of mind, of new values, of a new ethos. In Christian theology we use the term metanoia, which means a shift of the mind, a total change of mentality. This is very important, because of the fact that during the last century, a century of immense scientific progress, we experienced the biggest destruction of the natural environment. It seems that scientific knowledge does not reach the depth of our soul and mind. Man knows; and he still continues to act against his knowledge. Knowledge did not cause repentance, but it brought up cynicism and other obsessions. Our way to the establishment of an ecological culture has to be an ecological one. It is not proper to intend an ecological culture and to make decisions without taking into account their impact on the environment. Religions can contribute essentially to this aim. In the last three decades, the Ecumenical Patriarchate was the protagonist in ecological sensibilisation and action. If there is one thing that we have learned over the last years, it is the way that all of us are intimately and inseparably interconnected with the natural environment. We know now that even the slightest aspect of pollution and climate change on our planet has transparent and tangible implications for the last speck of dust in every corner of our planet. We are all called to common responsibility for the common good. We must work towards solutions for the challenges that we jointly face. 4. Building Bridges of Solidarity We are nowadays facing a worldwide economic crisis and its social outcomes on a global scale. We regard this crisis as a “crisis of solidarity”, as an ongoing process of “desolidarization”. Solidarity is the term, which contains the very essence of social ethos, referring to the pillars of freedom, love and justice. It means steadiness in the struggle for a just society, the respect of human dignity beyond any division of social classes. We are convinced that the future of humanity is related to the establishment of the culture of solidarity. Religions cannot ignore this immense crisis of solidarity. Economic and social problems affect human beings at the center of their life, their freedom and dignity. Religions developed an impressive tradition of philanthropy and solidarity. Even modern adversaries of religion are astonished at the social power and impact of faith. The famous biblical parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37), describes the spontaneous compassion and support for the suffering person, despite the fact that this person was a foreigner, or even an “enemy”. Christian love is always concrete and personal. Another truth in this parable is expressed in the answer of Jesus to the initial question: “Who is my neighbor?” For Jesus, the truth of love is to become a “neighbor” for everybody who needs our support. In modern terms: if our help can reach people far from us, it is the sense of the commandment of love to support them, to be their brother and sister. In the same parable, we can also detect the call to work for the improvement of the social conditions, which produce need, injustice, poverty and violence. Indeed, religion is not only a matter of personal life and of privacy, but it plays a pivotal role at the level of society. Our anthropology, our image of the human being and the purpose of its life, defines our attitude toward humanity and social action. If we see the human being as homme machine, we can easily transform the human person into an object. If we regard the human being as a person (prosopon) created “in the image” of God, then our attitude changes. This person-centered anthropology resists the contemporary objectivization of humanity in the name of scientific progress, the modern glorification of the individual as homo clausus; it resists the oppression of human rights in the name of communitarian structures or by totalitarian regimes, as well as the elimination of the dignity and uniqueness of man within the impersonal process of globalization. The most serious contemporary threat of the culture of solidarity is economism, the fundamentalism of market and profit. We are not qualified economists, but we are convinced that the purpose of economy should be for the service of humankind. The terms economy and ecology have the same etymological root. They contain the Greek word oikos (household). Oikonomia means care or management of our household; oikologia,-ecology- means study, appreciation of our home, keeping our world as oikoumene, as a place where we live and we can live. We reject “economic reductionism”, the reduction of the human being to homo oeconomicus. We resist the transformation of society in a gigantic market, the subordination of the human person to the tyranny of the needs, of consumerism, the identification of “being” with “having”, of dignity with property. We demand the respect of social parameters in economy, which are the basis for a life in freedom and dignity; we work for the protection of fundamental human rights and for the establishment of justice and peace. True faith does not release us from our responsibility to the world. On the contrary: it strengthens us to give witness of reconciliation and peace. The tension between our being “in the world” but, at the same time, “not of the world”, provides for our action orientation, sensibility and effectiveness. Conclusion: The Future as Openness Interfaith dialogue, environmental awareness and the culture of solidarity are responsibilities that we owe not only to the present generation. Future generations are entitled to a world free from fanaticism and violence, unspoiled by pollution and natural devastation, a society as a place of solidarity. We hear it often stated that the last two centuries were times of struggle for freedom and equality. This must become an era of fraternity and solidarity. However, this cannot be achieved without the contribution of religion. Thus, we can realize the gravity of the error of those modern thinkers, who underestimated or rejected the religious phenomenon, the fault of those who were blind in front of the dynamism of religion, of the culture it created, of its contribution to peace and its enormous social impact. They have easily but wrongly identified the negative aspects of religion, such as violence in the name of God, with its very essence. Progressive intellectuals are in a way accused of having indirectly strengthened fundamentalistic excesses in religion, since they downgraded religious faith and practices. Fundamentalistic explosion is often a reaction against an offense of faith. Dialogue or openness is the antidote to fundamentalism. It is a gesture and source of greater solidarity. Openness to the “other” does not threaten our particular identity. On the contrary, it deepens and enriches it. Openness resists both fanaticism and acceptance of everything, the nihilism of “anything goes”. It affirms plurality and intercultural exchange. Obviously, everything depends on our attitude toward pluralism and otherness. Pluralism is a hopeful chance and a positive challenge. Fear of difference and otherness leads to the enclosure within the boundaries of our particular culture and consequently to fundamentalism. Another major challenge for religions in our days is the human rights movement. Modern human rights claim to function as fundamental common values, as universal humanistic criterion. If religions approach human rights in a spirit of openness, they will discover part of their own basic principles and core values. In this way, religions can contribute to a deeper understanding of human rights, of their normative elements and of their limits. This attitude gives religions the chance to promote their own traditional ethos in its proper content and to point out the religious dimension of freedom. After all, the history of freedom does not begin with the history of modern human rights. Dear students of the Izmir University of Economics: Looking into your eyes means drawing encouragement, inspiration and hope for a bright future. Distinguished Professors: Your sacred task is to transmit to your students the spirit of openness. It is they who shall carry the responsibility for social values, for religion and culture, for freedom and justice, for the respect of otherness, for solidarity with creation and with humanity. Education has to offer the vision of a culture of participation and sharing, of existence as coexistence, of life as communion. Weremain thankful for this encounter and express once again our gratitude to your University for the exceptional award and the invitation to address you today. Thank you very much. And God bless you! Prot. No. 1377
Patriarchal Encyclical for Christmas + BARTHOLOMEW By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church: Grace, mercy, and peace from the Savior Christ, born in Bethlehem Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, “Christ is descending from the heavens; let us meet Him!” God has appeared on earth and, at the same time, we have seen the perfect man together with the inconceivable value of the human person. Today especially, we experience the condition of humanity after the fall, as we daily affirm with the Psalmist that “all have gone stray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good – no, not one!” (Psalm 13.3; Rom. 3.12-13) Before the incarnation of Christ, humanity could never imagine the inconceivable value of the human person, which was weakened and distorted after the fall. Only the most illumined people could perceive, even before the time of Christ, the value of the human person and the response to the Psalmist’s question: “What is man that God would remember him?” (Psalm 8.5), which they proclaimed in the Psalmist’s words: “You have made man a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8.6) It is this supreme value of the human person that the divine-human Lord revealed. And since that time, we each year have heard repeated declarations on the same subject by states, governments and social groups as well international treaties about respecting the human person and human rights. We witness with great surprise the constantly repeated “drama of Bethlehem.” It is a drama because it is no longer a joyous event when we ignore the Son and Word of God born in a manger, when humanity as His creation is not respected as a “divine image.” Our holy Orthodox Church and its theology teach us that humanity and the human body deserve the utmost respect because they were united to God in the incarnate Lord. Therefore, all of us are obliged to intensify our efforts for the supreme value of the human person to be respected by everyone. It is with great sorrow and deep regret that the Ecumenical Patriarchate follows the ongoing and increasing waves of violence and brutality, which continue to plague various regions of our planet and especially the entire Middle East, and in particular the native Christians there, often in the name of religion. We will never cease to declare to all from this Sacred Center of Orthodoxy – to our brother Primates of the Orthodox and other Christian Churches, the leaders and representatives of other religions, the heads of state and every person of good will everywhere, but above all to our fellow human beings that, whether motivated or not by others, place their own lives at risk in order to deprive others of their lives; for they, too, are created by God – that there can be no form of true and genuine religiosity or spirituality without love toward the human person. Any ideological, social or religious expression that either despises humanity created in the image of God or else teaches and permits the death of our fellow human beings, especially in the savage and primitive ways that we see, surely has nothing to do with the God of love. Dear brothers and sisters, as we turn our attention to the situation prevailing in our world today, we condemn the tragic events stemming from hatred of other religions and enmity toward people, which we witness so frighteningly close to us as we hear and see the terror so readily through social media. In response, we offer as the only powerful antidote to contemporary violence the “ultimate poverty” of God, which always acts as love and which surprised the wise men and the entire world. This is the mystical power of God, the mystical power of the Orthodox Church, and the mystical power of the Christian faith. This is the power that conquers and overcomes every form of violence and evil through love. This is our humble assessment of world affairs this Christmas. We pray that everyone may experience the joy of utmost respect for the human person, of our fellow human being. We also pray for the cessation of every form of violence, which can only be overcome through the love promoted and provided by the “angel of great counsel,” the “prince of peace,” our Savior Christ. May the grace, boundless mercy and goodwill of the newly-born and incarnate Lord of glory, peace and love be with you all. Christmas 2014 Your fervent supplicant to God + BARTHOLOMEW Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch Ἀριθμ. Πρωτ. 1377
ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΑΠΟΔΕΙΞΙΣ ΕΠΙ ΤΟΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΟΙΣ + Β Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ ΕΛΕῼ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ, ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΠΑΝΤΙ Τῼ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ, ΕΛΕΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΡΗΝΗΝ ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΒΗΘΛΕΕΜ ΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΟΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ * * * Ἀδελφοὶ καὶ Τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά, «Χριστὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν, ἀπαντήσατε!» Ἐφάνη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐφανερώθη συγχρόνως ὁ τέλειος ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἡ ἀσύλληπτος ἀξία τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου. Oἱ σύγχρονοι ἄνθρωποι ἰδιαιτέρως ζῶμεν τὴν μεταπτωτικὴν κατάστασιν, κατὰ τὴν ὁποίαν καθημερινῶς διαπιστώνομεν μετὰ τοῦ Ψαλμῳδοῦ ὅτι «πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός» (Ψαλμ. ΙΓ΄ 3 - Ρωμ. γ΄ 12-13). Πρὸ τῆς ἐνσαρκώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲν ἠδύνατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος νὰ φαντασθῇ τὴν ἀσύλληπτον ἀξίαν τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου, διότι μετὰ τὴν πτῶσιν ἠσθένησε καὶ ἠλλοιώθη. Μόνον οἱ πολὺ φωτισμένοι ἄνθρωποι διῃσθάνθησαν καὶ πρὸ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀπορίαν τοῦ Ψαλμῳδοῦ «τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνήσκῃ αὐτοῦ;» (Ψαλμ. Η΄ 5), διεκήρυξαν: «ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ᾿ ἀγγέλους, δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφάνωσας αὐτὸν» (ἐ.ἄ. 6). Τὴν ὑπερτάτην αὐτὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου ἐφανέρωσεν ὁ Θεάνθρωπος Κύριος καί, ἔκτοτε, ἐπαναλαμβάνουν κατ᾿ ἔτος διακηρύξεις κρατῶν, κυβερνήσεων καὶ κοινωνικῶν ὁμάδων καὶ διεθνεῖς συμβάσεις ἀναφερόμεναι εἰς τὸν σεβασμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ. Ἐν τούτοις, ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν μας βλέπομεν καθημερινῶς τὸν χείριστον ἐξευτελισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου, τὴν ἀτίμωσιν καὶ τὸν διασυρμὸν αὐτοῦ. Ὀφείλομεν, λοιπόν, ἐὰν θέλωμεν νὰ εἴμεθα ἄξιοι τῆς δόξης καὶ τιμῆς διὰ τῆς ὁποίας περιέβαλε τὸ ἀνθρώπινον πρόσωπον ὁ «δι᾿ ἡμᾶς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς γενόμενος» Δημιουργὸς μας, νὰ πράξωμεν πᾶν τὸ δυνατὸν διὰ νὰ παύσῃ ἡ ἐσχάτως διογκουμένη ἐξευτελιστικὴ διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον πρόσωπον συμπεριφορά. *** Παρακολουθοῦμεν ἔκπληκτοι τὸ ἐπαναλαμβανόμενον συνεχῶς «δρᾶμα τῆς Βηθλεέμ». Διότι περὶ δράματος πρόκειται καὶ ὄχι περὶ χαρμοσύνου γεγονότος, ἐφ᾿ ὅσον ἀγνοεῖται ὁ σπαργανούμενος ἐν φάτνῃ Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ δημιούργημά Του, ὁ ἄνθρωπος, δὲν ἀντιμετωπίζεται ὡς «εἰκὼν Θεοῦ». Ἡ Ἁγία Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία μας καὶ ἡ θεολογία της διδάσκουν ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον σῶμα ἀξιοῦνται πλήρους σεβασμοῦ, διότι ἡνώθησαν μὲ τὸν Θεὸν εἰς τὸν σαρκωθέντα Κύριον. Ὅθεν, ὀφείλομεν ὅλοι νὰ ἐντείνωμεν τὰς προσπαθείας μας διὰ νὰ γίνῃ ὑπὸ πάντων σεβαστὴ ἡ ὑπερτάτη ἀξία τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου. *** Μετὰ πολλῆς συνοχῆς καρδίας καὶ βαθείας θλίψεως τὸ Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον καὶ ἡ ἡμετέρα Μετριότης παρακολουθοῦμεν τὰ ὁσημέραι ὀγκούμενα κύματα ταῦτα βίας καὶ βαρβαρότητος, τὰ ὁποῖα ἐξακολουθοῦν νὰ μαστίζουν διαφόρους περιοχὰς τοῦ πλανήτου μας, καὶ ἰδιαιτέρως τὴν Μέσην Ἀνατολήν, καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς γηγενεῖς ἐκεῖ χριστιανούς, εἰς τὸ ὄνομα συχνάκις τῆς θρησκείας. Δὲν θὰ παύσωμεν δὲ νὰ διακηρύττωμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἱεροῦ τούτου Κέντρου τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας πρὸς πάντας, τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς Προκαθημένους τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν Χριστιανικῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, τοὺς ἐκπροσώπους τῶν Θρησκειῶν, τοὺς Ἀρχηγοὺς Κρατῶν, πρὸς πάντα ἄνθρωπον καλῆς θελήσεως, μάλιστα δὲ πρὸς τούς, κατόπιν ὑποκινήσεων ἤ μὴ θέτοντας τὴν ἰδίαν ζωὴν αὐτῶν εἰς κίνδυνον διὰ νὰ ἀφαιρέσουν ἀνθρωπίνους ζωάς, συνανθρώπους - δημιουργήματα καὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ-, καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν κατεύθυνσιν, ὅτι οὐδεμία εἶναι δυνατὸν νὰ ὑπάρξῃ μορφὴ ἀληθοῦς καὶ γνησίας θρησκευτικότητος ἢ πνευματικότητος ἄνευ ἀγάπης πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον πρόσωπον. Οἱονδήποτε ἰδεολογικόν, κοινωνικὸν ἢ θρησκευτικὸν μόρφωμα περιφρονεῖ τὸν κατ᾿ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ πλασθέντα ἄνθρωπον καὶ διδάσκει ἢ ἐπιτρέπει τὸν θάνατον συνανθρώπων μας, μάλιστα δὲ μὲ βάναυσον καὶ πρωτόγονον τρόπον, οὐδεμίαν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχει σχέσιν μὲ τὸν Θεὸν τῆς ἀγάπης. *** Στρέφοντες, ἀδελφοὶ καὶ τέκνα, τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μας εἰς τὴν κρατοῦσαν σήμερον ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ κατάστασιν ἀποστρέφομεν τὸ πρόσωπόν μας ἐκ τῶν θλιβερῶν γεγονότων μισαλλοδοξίας καὶ ἐχθρότητος, τὰ ὁποῖα μαστίζουν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα καὶ φθάνουν πλέον, διὰ τῶν συγχρόνων μέσων γενικῆς ἐπικοινωνίας, εὐχερέστερον εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς καὶ τὴν ὅρασίν μας προκαλοῦντα τρόμον διὰ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα δεινά, καὶ προβάλλομεν ὡς ἰσχυρὸν ἀντίδοτον εἰς τὴν σύγχρονον βίαν τὴν καταπλήξασαν τοὺς μάγους καὶ τὸν κόσμον «ἐσχάτην πτωχείαν» τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ ὁποία ἐνεργεῖ πάντοτε ὡς ἀγάπη. Αὐτὴ εἶναι ἡ μυστικὴ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ μυστικὴ δύναμις τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, ἡ μυστικὴ δύναμις τοῦ γένους τῶν χριστιανῶν. Ἡ δύναμις ἡ ὁποία νικᾷ καὶ ὑπερβαίνει διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τὴν κάθε εἴδους βίαν καὶ κακίαν. *** Οὕτως ἀποτιμῶντες κατὰ τὰ ἐφετεινὰ Χριστούγεννα τὴν κατάστασιν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, εὐχόμεθα ὅπως βιώσωμεν οἱ πάντες τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ ἀπολύτου σεβασμοῦ τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ προσώπου, τοῦ συνανθρώπου, καὶ τὴν παῦσιν τῆς βίας κάθε μορφῆς, τὴν νίκην ἐπὶ τῆς ὁποίας διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης προβάλλει καὶ προσφέρει ὁ σάρκα λαβὼν «μεγάλης Βουλῆς Ἄγγελος», ὁ «Ἄρχων εἰρήνης» καὶ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Χριστός. Αὐτοῦ τοῦ τεχθέντος καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντος Κυρίου τῆς δόξης, τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ Χάρις καὶ τὸ ἄπειρον Ἔλεος καὶ ἡ εὐδοκία εἴησαν μετὰ πάντων. Χριστούγεννα ,βιδ΄ + Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Βαρθολομαῑος διάπυρος πρὸς Θεὸν εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν. Με ιδιαίτερη λαμπρότητα εορτάσθηκε το διήμερο 8 και 9 Νοεμβρίου η μνήμη του Αγίου Νεκταρίου, Επισκόπου Πενταπόλεως του Θαυματουργού, στον ομώνυμο Ιερό Μετοχιακό Ναό της Πατριαρχικής Μονής Οσίας Ειρήνης Χρυσοβαλάντου, στο Μπρούκλιν. Το Σάββατο έλαβε χώρα ο Μέγας Εσπερινός με συμμετοχή ιερέων της Μονής και Κοινοτήτων της Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής και την Κυριακή ετελέσθη η Πανηγυρική Θεία Λειτουργία από τον Καθηγούμενο της Μονής, Πανοσιολογιώτατο Αρχιμανδρίτη κ. Ιερόθεο, παρουσία πλήθους πιστών που είχαν κατακλύσει τον Ναό. Εν συνεχεία, η Εκκλησιαστική Επιτροπή και η Φιλόπτωχος Αδελφότης του Μετοχίου παρέθεσαν Γεύμα στο Rex Manor, όπου ετιμήθη η κ. Στέλλα Κοκόλη, Πρόεδρος της Ομοσπονδίας Ελλήνων Εκπαιδευτικών Αμερικής, γιά την προσφορά της πρός το Ιερό Μετόχιο και εν γένει την Ελληνορθόδοξη εκπαίδευση στην Ομογένεια των ΗΠΑ. Ο Πανοσιολογιωτατος προσεφώνησε την τιμωμένη εκφράζοντας τις ευχαριστίες διά την προσφορά της στον Ιερό Ναό του Αγίου Νεκταρίου και ανεφέρθη στο έργο που η κ. Στέλλα Κοκόλη επι σειρά ετών προσφέρει στην Ομογένεια. Φωτογραφίες Ο Αγιασμός των Υδάτων γιορτάσθηκε με λαμπρή και μεγαλόπρεπη τελετή στο παραθαλάσσιο Γκρήνπορτ της Νέας Υόρκης, το Σάββατο 20 Σεπτεμβρίου, μιά ηλιόλουστη καλοκαιρινή μέρα, με θρησκευτικές τελετές, μαζί μέ τον εορτασμό της Ναυτικής Εβδομάδας στο Long Island, όπως έχει καθιερωθεί τα τελευταία 34 χρόνια, από τότε που αποκτήθηκε το Ιερό Μετόχιο των Αγίων Αναργύρων, Ταξιάρχου καί Γερασίμου, ένας διατηρητέος από την Πολιτεία Ναός, πού ανήκει στο Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Ο Πανοσιολογιώτατος Αρχιμανδρίτης κ. Ιερόθεος Ζαχαρής, Καθηγούμενος της Ιεράς Πατριαρχικής Μονής Οσίας Ειρήνης του Χρυσοβαλάντου, στην δικαιοδοσία της οποίας ανήκει το Ιερό Μετόχιο, προέστη της Θείας Λειτουργίας, βοηθούμενος από τον Ιερομόναχο π. Μελέτιο Μπουγά, τον Πρωτοπρεσβύτερο κ. Γεράσιμο Μπάλλα, εφημέριο του Ιερού Μετοχίου, και τον Πρεσβύτερο κ. Ιωάννη Αμαραντίδη. Τρισάγιο γιά όλα τα θύματα της 11ης Σεπτεμβρίου τελέσθηκε, και ειδικά για τον μακαριστό Ιωάννη Κατσιματίδη, ο οποίος ήταν μέλος του Ιερού Μετοχίου και έχασε την ζωή του εκείνο το μοιραίο πρωινό στο World Trade Center. Κατόπιν έγινε η Λιτανεία του Τιμίου Σταυρού, με την συνοδεία της φιλαρμονικής της Πυροσβεστικής, η οποία κατευθύνθηκε στην προβλήτα του Γκρήνπορτ, όπου στην ειδικά διαμορφωμένη εξέδρα έγινε η τελετή του Αγιασμού και ο Πανοσιολογιώτατος έριξε τον Σταυρό στην θάλασσα. Ο Γιάννης Κορμάς ήταν ο τυχερός που τόν ανέσυρε από τα ύδατα τον Τίμιο Σταυρό και έλαβε ένα αναμνηστικό τρόπαιο από τον Καθηγούμενο της Ιεράς Μονής. Η τελετή αυτή, που γίνεται κάθε χρόνο συμπίπτει μέ την Ναυτική Εβδομάδα, που οργανώνεται από τον δήμο του Γκρήνπορτ και συγκεντρώνει κάθε χρόνο χιλιάδες προσκυνητές που επισκέπτονται τον Ναό με λεωφορεία, αλλά και εορταστές από την Νέα Υόρκη, το Κοννέκτικατ και την Νέα Ιερσέη, γιορτάζοντας με τον τρόπο αυτό και το τέλος του καλοκαιριού στο Long Island. Η όλη εκδήλωση ἐληξε με την επιστροφή στο Ιερό Μετόχιο, όπου παρετέθει γεύμα προς τους προσκυνητάς. Ο Πανοσιολογιώτατος εὐχαρίστησε τόσο τον εφημέριο του Μετοχίου, την Eκκλησιαστική Eπιτροπή και την Φιλόπτωχο Αδελφότητα αλλά και ολους τους πιστούς που ταξίδευσαν στο Γκρήνπορτ για την τελετή. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more pictures please click here. Prot. No. 907
† B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Entire Church: Grace and Peace from the Creator, Sustainer and Governor of all Creation, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ Blessed brothers, sisters, and children in the Lord, The common Mother of all Orthodox, the Church of Christ, the Body of our eternal Lord and divine-human Jesus Christ, compassionately ministers through all of its activities but especially through the Divine Eucharist, by offering its holy gifts to their Creator in the mystery of salvation. It does this with proven boundless and indiscriminate love toward all of its members to the degree also demonstrated by our heavenly Father. In its prayerful memory, the Church always bears in mind the presence of its children, maintaining a vivid interest and concern for all that relates to and influences their lives. This is why it does not remain unmoved or indifferent by the ongoing and daily destruction of the natural environment resulting from human greed and vain profit, which in turn implies an essential turning of the Lord’s face and results in consequential turbulence in nature and fracture in its crown, namely human existence, whose very survival is threatened. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and we have for many years assessed the signs of our times as well as the Eucharistic obligation of the Orthodox Church. Thus we declared and devoted the commencement of the ecclesiastical year, namely September 1st, as a day of prayer and supplication for the preservation of God’s creation, which has been inherited by us as our environment. On this day, we bow our heart and soul, invoking God’s Word to look down upon His creation with loving kindness that He might overlook our sinfulness and greed, “opening up His hand to fill all of creation with goodness” and bring an end to the destructive path of the world. Of course, it is true that significant progress has been achieved in the last decades with regard to protecting the environment, especially through constantly raising awareness of public conscience, assuming precautionary and restrictive measures, creating sustainable programs, returning to more moderate energy sources, as well as many other fruitful and noteworthy activities. The effort and concern of the Mother Church of Constantinople has greatly contributed to this progress in cooperation with international ecological institutions and organizations. Nonetheless, all this is insufficient. As we celebrate once again this year the Feast of the Byzantine Indiction, and as we inaugurate a new year of the Lord’s grace, we address the blessed plenitude of the Orthodox Church and the entire world, inviting all people to continued vigilance, consciousness and mobilization of their resources in order to return to the state that reflects – if not the absolute Eucharistic and doxological condition of Adam and Eve – at least the condition inspired by God’s grace and mercy. The unlimited and insatiable exploitation of the natural resources of creation, which constitutes the primary cause of the destruction of the natural environment, is – according to the witness of theology, science and the arts – the result of man’s fall, that is to say, our disobedience to the Lord’s command and non-conformation to God’s will. However, the Church provides the antidote for the resolution to our ecological crisis, inviting everyone to the restoration of the divine image to its former and original beauty. The rehabilitation of the fallen human nature by means of the breath of the Holy Spirit and participation of its gifts also restores a balanced relationship between humanity and creation, which was made by God for our joy and enjoyment but also for us to offer up to Him as its Creator. The Mother Church calls us “to cultivate the whole of creation in the divine Word and life-giving Spirit,” just as St. Symeon the Stylite, whom we celebrate today, so that we may ascend “from the natural to the supernatural” and commit ourselves “to the simple and absolute mystical visions of theology” in order to be raised from creation to the Creator. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that deifies humankind and at the same time unites it with the natural environment in order that we may perceive it as part of our very selves and respect it as something sacred without deviating toward abuses and extremes. The nurturing of humanity by the natural world cannot possibly occur through greedy abuse but by respectful use, namely by mutual respect among human beings and all created beings as well as with everything that has life and offers life, which was created “very good” by God’s word, namely with all the elements of creation both visible and invisible. Thus, we shall be able to drink water from the life-creating stone, to behold the created sun and conceive the spiritual sun of righteousness, to look upon the material column of St. Symeon and see the true column of light, to witness the rainy clouds and enter the cloud of the Holy Spirit in order that we may rest there, where Christ entered as our forerunner, and have our names recorded with the first-born in the heavenly Church. It is only when we proceed with this mindset – respecting the contribution of every living being and vegetable in the universal liturgy of life – that we can resolve with the power of divine grace and not by means of the weakly human violence all of our environmental challenges. This message of life is a message of our responsibility to continue our spiritual struggle and effort with prayer, exhortation, encouragement and appeal, attracting the attention of all people with regard to the necessity to protect ourselves from the imminent wrath resulting from our estrangement from nature. The constant focus of humanity on earthly and corruptible things provokes the ecological problems inasmuch as, when we increasingly turn toward the earth and this world, we are increasingly alienated from heaven and God. The Holy Mother and Great Church of Christ unceasingly assumes and cultivates this mandatory and salvific responsibility for the protection of the environment for the spiritual and material continuation of life on our planet. Therefore, in this regard, it is organizing an Environmental Summit next June on the theme of “Theology, Ecology, and the Word: a conversation on environment, literature and the arts.” The aim of this conference is to awaken the global conscience to the particular and specific importance of the ethical and spiritual dimension of the ecological crisis – with special reference to the arts and literature – in order that it may be returned to its “original beauty,” which is the natural, hole and sacred purpose for which it was fashioned by the creative hands of the divine Word. Having “within ourselves the inviolable memory of the Lord’s judgment,” we give witness from this Sacred Center of all Orthodoxy to the truth of the word and draw the attention of all to the dangers that lie before us, which God’s grace will surely avoid in its loving providence. And we invite everyone to work for the preservation and return of our world to the Source of Life, through the intercessions of our All-holy and Ever-blessed Theotokos, of St. Symeon the Stylite, and of all the Saints. Amen. September 1, 2014 Your Fervent Supplicant before God, † Bartholomew of Constantinople |
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- Μεγας Εσπερινός Αγίου Νικολάου
- Χριστουγεννιάτικη Γιορτή του Ελληνικού Σχο&l
- Χριστούγεννα 2019
-
2018 Photo Album
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- Holy Epiphany - Αγια Θεοφάνεια
- St. Athanasios Feast in Chicago
- Κυριακη Τελώνου και Φαρισαίου
- Greek Regents Award
- Εκκλησιαστικό Άγγελμα - Κυριακή των Απόκρεω
- Sunday of Orthodoxy 2-25-18
- Sunday of the Veneration of Holy Cross (3-11-18)
- Εκκλησιαστικό Άγγελμα - Δ' Κυριακή των Νηστειώ
- O Ακάθιστος Ύμνος - The Akathist Hymn
- Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου (Κυριακή 25 Μαρτ
- Σχολική εορτή Εθνικής Επετείου 25ης Μαρτίου
- PASCHA 2018
- Greek Parade on Fifth Ave (4-22-18)
- Μέγας Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός Αγίου Εφραίμ (4 Μ&al
- Mother's Day
- Η Ορθόδοξη Ιεραποστολή στο Κονγκό
- Φεστιβάλ Ι. Ναού Αγίων Νικολάου και Μαρίνης, Μπρ&
- Μέγας Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός Αγίας Μεγαλομ
- Πανήγυρις Οσίας Ειρήνης Χρυσοβαλάντου 2018
- H Πανήγυρις της Παναγίας στη Μονή Ιβήρων
- Πανηγυρική Θεία Λειτουργία Αγίου Νεκταρίο&
- Εκθεσις Αγιογραφίας
- The Elevation of Holy Cross - Η Ύψωσις του Τιμίου Σταυρού
- Ο ΑΓΙΑΣΜΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΥΔΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΟ ΓΚΡΗΝΠΟΡΤ
- Μέγας Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός Αγίου Νεκταρί&omi
- Πανηγυρικός Εσπερινός Αγίου Νικολάου
- Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός Αγίας Αικατερίνης
- Χειροτονία π. Νικολάου Καλαφάτη
- Ο Θεοφιλέστατος στον Ι.Ν. Αγίας Τριάδος Πατρώv
- Πανήγυρις Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου στην Ιερά Μ
- Αρχιερατική Θ. Λειτουργία (16 Δεκ. 2018)
- Χριστουγεννιάτικη Σχολική Γιορτή
- Αρχιερατική Θεία Λειτουργία των Χριστουγένν
-
2017 Photo Album
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- Theophania
- Ordination of Bishop Ierotheos (3-5-17)
- Welcoming of Bishop Ierotheos
- Αρχιερατικό Συλλείτουργο - Ι. Ν. Αγίου Νεκταρ
- Pascha 2017
- St. Nectarios Greek School Exetaseis (June 24, 2017)
- Μέγας Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός Αγίου Εφραίμ
- Sunday of the Samaritan Woman - Mother's Day
- Visit of H.E. Metropolitan Maximos of Sylivria
- Graduation - Exetaseis 2017 of the Greek School
- The Miraculous Icon of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou at St. Nicholas Church in Brooklyn
- Μέγας Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός Αγίας Μαρίνης
- ANNUAL FEAST (7/27-30/2017)
- The Dormition of Theotokos
- Elevation of Holy Cross
- Blessing of the Waters in Greenport
- Nameday of H.G. Bishop Ierotheos
- St. Nectarios Vespers
- Christmas Greek School Celebration
-
2016 Photo Album
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- Three Hierarchs School Celebration (1-31-16)
- Holy Ascension Church 2-14-16
- Sunday of Orthodoxy (3-20-16)
- School celebration for March 25
- Tha Akathist Hymn
- Metropolitan Nikitas of Dardanelles (4-17-16)
- Palm Sunday (4-24-16)
- Holy Thursday April 28
- Holy Friday - Apokathelosis - April 29
- Epitaphios Procession - April 29
- Resurrection Service - Ανάστασις
- Pascha 2016 in Greenport
- Mother's Day School celebration (5-8-16)
- Festival of St. Netarios Church (June 24-26, 2016)
- His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Silyvria (5-21-16)
- Graduation Exetaseis 2016 (6-11-16)
- Feast and Festival of St. Irene (July 27-31, 2016)
- Festival of St. Nicholas Church (June 10-12, 2016)
- St. Nectarios Festive Vespers
- St. Nicholas Great Hierarchical Vespers and Divine Liturgy
- Elevation of the Holy Cross (9-14-16)
- Blessing of the Waters in Greenport (9-24-16)
- Blessing of the School Year
- School Celebration for October 28
- Feast of Saint Andrew (11-30-16)
- St. Nicholas Festive Vespers
- Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America visit (12-18-16)
- Christmas celebration of the School (12-18-16)
-
2015 Photo Album
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- Rt. Rev. Archim. Elder Vasileios Iviritis at the Patriarchal Monastery
- Εορτή των Τριών Ιεραρχών
- Sunday of Orthodoxy - Procession of the Holy Icons.
- Σχολική εορτή 25ης Μαρτίου
- The Akathist Hymn (Friday March 27, 2015)
- Greek Parade on Fifth Avenue
- Holy Week and Pascha 2015 >
- Mother's Day School Celebration
- H. E. Archbishop Demetrios of America celebrates the Divine Liturgy (5-17-15)
- Graduation Αποφοίτηση Εξετάσεις 2015
- FEAST OF ST. IRENE CHRYSOVALANTOU
- Blessing of the Waters, Greenport, NY
- The Blessing of the school year (10-4-2015)
- School Celebration for October 28th (10-25-2015)
- Vasilopitta Blessing
- Great Vespers at St. Nicholas Church (12-5-15)
- Dinner Dance of St. Nicholas Church (12-6-15)
- Christmas School Celebration (12-12-15)
- The Abbot with the Vice President of the USA, Joe Biden.
- Great Vespers at St. Nectarios Church (11-8-15)
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