e-περιοδικό της Ενορίας Μπανάτου εν Ζακύνθω. Ιδιοκτήτης: Πρωτοπρεσβύτερος του Οικουμενικού Θρόνου Παναγιώτης Καποδίστριας (pakapodistrias@gmail.com), υπεύθυνος Γραφείου Τύπου Ι. Μητροπόλεως Ζακύνθου. Οι δημοσιογράφοι δύνανται να αντλούν στοιχεία, αφορώντα σε εκκλησιαστικά δρώμενα της Ζακύνθου, με αναφορά του συνδέσμου των αναδημοσιευόμενων. Η πνευματική ιδιοκτησία προστατεύεται από τον νόμο 2121/1993 και την Διεθνή Σύμβαση της Βέρνης, κυρωμένη από τον νόμο 100/1975.

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Κυριακή 23 Οκτωβρίου 2022

Address of Ecumenical Patriarch during the Vesper Service at St James’ Church, Sussex Gardens (Sunday, 23.10.22)


Lord Bishop of Fulham, Right Reverend Jonathan Baker,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Reverend Fathers,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Glorifying the God of our fathers and thanking Him for the countless blessings that He has bestowed upon us, we bring you our humble greetings from the Church of Constantinople, being most appreciative that you have invited us to be with you during this evening’s prayer service in this beautiful church, as we continue our Patriarchal Visit to the United Kingdom commemorating the centennial of our Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. Considering this Holy Temple’s proximity to the Archdiocesan Headquarters at Thyateira House, we note that you are good neighbours and recognise the Abrahamic hospitality that your parish has extended to us this evening and that the Church of England, in general, has shown to our faithful, especially here in London, for many years.

While many Greek Orthodox Christians had already been moving to the British Isles for centuries, primarily for economic and trade opportunities, our Ecumenical Throne formally established the local eparchy one hundred years ago under challenging conditions for the Mother Church of Constantinople during a period when over one million refugees were forced to leave their native lands. While the Ecumenical Patriarchate saw faithful leave our country and region – a historical cradle of Christianity from the era of the New Testament – at the same time, efforts were made to ensure that the Holy Great Church of Christ provided much-needed spiritual care to those immigrating to Western and Central Europe. Today, especially in light of the complex political and economic conditions throughout Europe, our Archdiocese continues its mission by ministering to Orthodox Christians, not only to those originating from Greece, Cyprus, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere but also by providing support for the local less fortunate regardless of religious confession. After all, this is what Christ commanded us to do when saying that “all will know that you are (His) disciples, if (we) have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Naturally, especially during the initial years when the Orthodox lacked the necessary organisation and resources, the Church of England, despite its own various tribulations and challenges, offered highly valued assistance and support, such as providing many houses of worship. We are sincerely grateful for these thoughtful initiatives and gestures, which have also certainly encouraged the progress of the bilateral dialogue and cooperation between Anglicans and Orthodox on a local and international level. These first acquaintances and concrete interactions here were among the initial influences that led the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to be a trailblazer and active participant in the Ecumenical Movement since the beginning of the previous century. This is evident by the Patriarchal and Synodal Encyclical of 1920, entitled “Unto the Churches of Christ everywhere,” which provided a framework and suggestions for inter-Christian dialogue and emphasised the importance that we place on it, not only between Christians but with other faiths and all people of goodwill.

As witnessed by the meetings of the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue, such as the one that took place only a few weeks ago in Athens, under the co-chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, who is part of our honourable entourage here in London, we remain convinced that our dedication to an honest exchange of ideas assists in healing past wounds and misunderstandings. While we may not see eye-to-eye on every issue, we look to find common ground on subjects that we can agree on so that we can raise a much sought-after united Christian voice to address contemporary problems, to speak against social and environmental injustices, to call for peace and reconciliation unceasingly, and to stand up for our shared, Christian values in an increasingly secularised world.

Therefore, it is with these thoughts that we leave you with this evening, looking forward to the continued collaboration and mutual support that you will enjoy and continue to cultivate with the Archdiocese of Thyateira as it officially moves into its second century here in Great Britain. Furthermore, never remaining complacent or overly proud in charitable works, we congratulate you for your various accomplishments as followers of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Holy Gospel and encourage you to continue and strengthen the manifold ministries of this parish that offer much for the betterment of society.

“May the blessing of the Lord and His mercy come upon you by His divine grace and love for mankind, always, now and forever and to the ages of ages.”

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