Patriarch Bartholomew Makes Statement on Ukraine and Macedonia Issues - delegation consults Antioch and Serbia

 On 11 June 2018,His All- Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople made remarks in the Patriarchal Church of St.George in Constantinople concerning the Patriarchate's responsibilities toward the uncanonical Orthodox Churches in Ukraine and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM):
The existence of a schism is not an argument in favour of leaving a whole nation outside the bounds of the Church's truth and canonicity with a pure conscience,denying our responsibility before God and history;but is rather an incentive for finding salvific and unifying solutions.When the Mother Church explores the paths of salvation for our brothers from Ukraine and Skopje (FYROM),it fulfills the apostolic duty.Our duty and responsibility is to bring these nations back to the truth and canonicity of the Church.Therefore what the Ecumenical Patriarchate has,it has for the benefit of the whole world,and offers it to all peoples without exception.Within this framework,inter-Christian dialogue is established,which carries out its work "in love and truth."*
Having visited the Church of Greece,as recounted in an earlier post by this blog,a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate continued its consultations with other autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Churches on the state of affairs in Ukraine and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).On 5 June 2018,the delegation consisting of His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and His Eminence Metropolitan Bartholomew of Smyrna (Izmir,Turkey) were received by His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia in Belgrade.According to the Serbian Orthodox Church,His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel thanked the Patriarch for the cordial audience,during which a conversation about the current relations of the Local Orthodox Churches was held.
For his part,Patriarch Irinej expressed his gratitude to Metropolitan Emmanuel for the visit and his efforts to establish close ties between the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate.*
Also attending the audience from the Serbian Orthodox Church were His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa and Father Deacon Aleksandar Prascevic,Head of the Office of the Patriarch.*
On 14 June 2018,His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East received Metropolitans Emmanuel and Bartholomew at the Patriarchate's Lebanon headquarters.Also attending the audience were His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios (Mansour) of Akkar and Dependencies and His Eminence Metropolitan Ephraim (Kyriakos) of Tripoli,al-Koura and Dependencies.
The audience addressed General Orthodox affairs and the Ukraine case,the Patriarchate of Antioch said.

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Patriarch Bartholomew Gives Keynote Address at International Ecological Symposium

On 5 June 2018,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave the keynote address at the International Ecological Symposium "Toward a Greener Attica:Preserving the Planet and Protecting its People" at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.The Symposium runs from 5-8 June in The Saronic Islands of Greece.Participating in the discussions are theologians,scientists,political and business leaders,and journalists worldwide.The aim of the Symposium is to explore the pressing environmental problems of the region and its lands;and to examine the connections between the ecology and economy-especially in the context of critical social and environmental challenges that we face today.*
Among those participating are:
Gayle Woloschak,Northwestern University;Juliet Eilperin,The Washington Post;Raj Patel,author and activist;His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon (Ecumenical Patriarchate),eminent theologian;Constantine Triantafillou,International Orthodox Christian Charities;John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaigekan,Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja,Nigeria;Rt.Rev. Marc Andrus,Episcopal Bishop,Diocese of California;Konstantina E. Botsiou,Associate Professor of Modern History and International Politics,University of the Pelopennese;Peter Bouteneff,St.Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary;Tamara Grdzelidze,Ambassador of the Republic of Georgia to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta;Sister Nectaria McLees,editor of Road to Emmaus:A Journal of Orthodox Faith and Culture,Serbian Orthodox nun;Marlise Simons,The New York Times; and Olav Fyske Tveit,General Secretary,World Council of Churches.*
Sponsors of the Symposium,besides the Ecumenical Patriarchate,include:
Holy Vatopedi Monastery,Mt.Athos,Greece;TITAN Company (Greece) S.A.;Southern New Hampshire University;IMERYS Industrial Minerals Greece S.A.;and Kyvernitis Travel S.A.*
Here are some of Patriarch Bartholomew's thoughts from his address:
The ecological crisis has revealed that our world constitutes a seamless whole,that our problems are universally shared.This means that no initiative or institution,no nation or corporation,neither science nor technology,are in a place to respond to the ecological crisis alone,without working closely together.*
The destruction of the natural environment can only be reversed through a radical change of our perspective towards nature that results from a radical change of our self-understanding as human beings.*
For the Orthodox Church,creation care-the preservation of nature and the protection of all people-emanates from the essence of our faith.Any kind of alienation between human beings and nature is a distortion of Christian theology and anthropology. *
May this symposium be an opportunity for inspiration,conversation and transformation.Our aim is to advance a collaborative response to the ecological crisis while advocating for a sustainable planet and socuial justice for humanity as a sacred legacy for all people,especially our children

Patriarch Bartholomew gives Pope Francis chocolates - meeting in Rome on 28 May 2018