THE MISSION OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN
TODAY’S WORLD
The contribution of the Orthodox Church
in realizing
peace, justice, freedom, fraternity and
love between peoples, and in
the removal of racial and other
discriminations.
For God so loved the world that he gave
his Only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). The Church of Christ exists
in the world, but is
not of the world (cf. Jn 17:11,
14-15). The Church as the Body of the
incarnate Logos of God (John Chrysostom,
Homily before Exile, 2 PG 52, 429)
constitutes the living “presence” as the
sign and image of the Kingdom of the Triune
God in history, proclaims the good news of a
new creation (II Cor 5:17), of
new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells
(II Pt 3:13); news of a world in which
God will wipe away every tear from
people’s eyes; there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall
be no more pain
(Rev 21:4-5).
Such hope is experienced and foretasted by
the Church, especially each time the Divine
Eucharist is celebrated, bringing
together (I Cor 11:20) the
scattered children of God (Jn
11:52) without regard to race, sex, age,
social, or any other condition into a single
body where
there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free, there is neither
male nor female
(Gal 3:28; cf. Col 3:11).
This foretaste of the
new creation—of a world
transfigured—is also experienced by the
Church in the countenance of her saints who,
through their spiritual struggles and
virtues, have already revealed the image of
the Kingdom of God in this life, thereby
proving and affirming that the expectation
of a world of peace, justice, and love is
not a utopia, but the
substance of things hoped for (Heb
11:1) , attainable through the grace of God
and man’s spiritual struggle.
Finding constant inspiration in this
expectation and foretaste of the Kingdom of
God, the Church cannot remain indifferent to
the problems of humanity in each period. On
the contrary, she shares in our anguish and
existential problems, taking upon herself—as
the Lord did—our suffering and wounds, which
are caused by evil in the world and, like
the Good Samaritan, pouring oil and wine
upon our wounds through words of
patience and comfort (Rom 15:4; Heb
13:22), and through love in practice. The
word addressed to the world is not primarily
meant to judge and condemn the world (cf. Jn
3:17; 12:47), but rather to offer to the
world the guidance of the Gospel of the
Kingdom of God—namely, the hope and
assurance that evil, no matter its form,
does not have the last word in history and
must not be allowed to dictate its course.
The conveyance of the Gospel’s message
according to the last commandant of Christ,
Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have
commanded you (Matt 28:19) is the
diachronic mission of the Church. This
mission must be carried out not aggressively
or by different forms of proselytism, but in
love, humility and respect towards the
identity of each person and the cultural
particularity of each people. All the
Orthodox Church have an obligation to
contribute to this missionary endeavor.
Drawing from these principles and the
accumulated experience and teaching of her
patristic, liturgical, and ascetical
tradition, the Orthodox Church shares the
concern and anxiety of contemporary humanity
with regard to fundamental existential
questions that preoccupy the world today.
She thus desires to help resolve these
issues, allowing the
peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding
(Phil 4:7), reconciliation, and love to
prevail in the world.
A. The Dignity of the Human
Person
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The human person’s unique dignity, which
stems from being created in the image and
likeness of God and from our role in God’s
plan for humanity and the world, was the
source of inspiration for the Church
Fathers, who entered deeply into the
mystery of divine oikonomia.
Regarding the human being, St. Gregory the
Theologian characteristically emphasizes
that:
The Creator sets a sort of second world
upon the earth, great in its smallness,
another angel, a worshipper of composite
nature, contemplator of visible
creation, and initiate of intelligible
creation, a king over all that is on
earth… a living being, prepared here and
transported elsewhere and (which is the
culmination of the mystery) deified
through attraction towards God
(Homily 45, On Holy Pascha, 7. PG
36, 632AB). The purpose of the incarnation
of the Word of God is the deification of
the human being. Christ, having renewed
within himself the old Adam (cf. Eph
2:15),
made the human person divine like
himself, the beginning of our hope
(Eusebius of Caesarea,
Demonstrations on the Gospel,
Book 4, 14. PG 22, 289A). For just as the
entire human race was contained in the old
Adam, so too, the entire human race is now
gathered in the new Adam:
The Only-begotten One became man in
order to gather into one and return to
its original condition the fallen human
race
(Cyril of Alexandria,
Commentary on the Gospel of John,
Book 9, PG 74, 273D–275A). This teaching
of the Church is the endless source of all
Christian efforts to safeguard the dignity
and majesty of the human person.
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On this basis, it is essential to develop
inter-Christian cooperation in every
direction for the protection of human
dignity and of course for the good of
peace, so that the peace-keeping efforts
of all Christians without exception may
acquire greater weight and significance.
-
As a presupposition for a wider
co-operation in this regard the common
acceptance of the highest value of the
human person may be useful. The various
local Orthodox Churches can contribute to
inter-religious understanding and
co-operation for the peaceful co-existence
and harmonious living together in society,
without this involving any religious
syncretism.
-
We are convinced that, as
God’s fellow workers (I Cor 3:9),
we can advance to this common service
together with all people of good will, who
love peace that is pleasing to God, for
the sake of human society on the local,
national, and international levels. This
ministry is a commandment of God (Mt 5:9).
B. Freedom and Responsibility
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Freedom is one of God’s greatest gifts to
the human being.
He who created man in the beginning
made him free and self-determined,
limiting him solely by the laws of the
commandment
(Gregory the Theologian,
Homily 14, On Love for the Poor,
25. PG 35, 892A). Freedom renders the
human being capable of progressing toward
spiritual perfection; yet, it also
includes the risk of disobedience as
independence from God and consequently the
fall, which tragically gives rise to evil
in the world.
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The consequences of evil include those
imperfections and shortcomings prevailing
today, including: secularism; violence;
moral laxity; detrimental phenomena such
as the use of addictive substances and
other addictions especially in the lives
of certain youth; racism; the arms race
and wars, as well as the resulting social
catastrophes; the oppression of certain
social groups, religious communities, and
entire peoples; social inequality; the
restriction of human rights in the field
of freedom of conscience—in particular
religious freedom; the misinformation and
manipulation of public opinion; economic
misery; the disproportionate
redistribution of vital resources or
complete lack thereof; the hunger of
millions of people; forced migration of
populations and human trafficking; the
refugee crisis; the destruction of the
environment; and the unrestrained use of
genetic biotechnology and biomedicine at
the beginning, duration, and end of human
life. These all create infinite anxiety
for humanity today.
-
Faced with this situation, which has
degraded the concept of the human person,
the duty of the Orthodox Church today
is—through its preaching, theology,
worship, and pastoral activity—to assert
the truth of freedom in Christ.
All things are lawful for me, but not
all things are helpful; all things are
lawful for me, but not all things edify.
Let no one seek his own, but each one
the other’s well-being…for why is my
liberty judged of another man’s
conscience?
(I Cor 10:23-24, 29). Freedom without
responsibility and love eventually leads
to loss of freedom.
C. Peace and Justice
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The Orthodox Church has diachronically
recognized and revealed the centrality of
peace and justice in people’s lives. The
very revelation of Christ is characterized
as a gospel of peace (Eph 6:15),
for Christ has brought
peace to all through the blood of his
Cross
(Col 1:20),
preached peace to those afar and
near
(Eph 2:17), and has become
our peace (Eph 2:14). This peace,
which surpasses all understanding
(Phil 4:7), as the Lord Himself told His
disciples before His passion, is broader
and more essential than the peace promised
by the world:
peace I leave with you, my peace I give
to you; not as the world gives do I give
to you
(Jn 14:27). This is because the peace of
Christ is the ripe fruit of the
restoration of all things in Him, the
revelation of the human person’s dignity
and majesty as an image of God, the
manifestation of the organic unity in
Christ between humanity and the world, the
universality of the principles of peace,
freedom, and social justice, and
ultimately the blossoming of Christian
love among people and nations of the
world. The reign of all these Christian
principles on earth gives rise to
authentic peace. It is the peace from
above, for which the Orthodox Church prays
constantly in its daily petitions, asking
this of the almighty God, Who hears the
prayers of those that draw near to Him in
faith.
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From the aforementioned, it is clear why
the Church, as
the body of Christ (I Cor 12:27),
always prays for the peace of the whole
world; this peace, according to Clement of
Alexandria, is synonymous with justice
(Stromates 4, 25. PG 8,
1369B-72A). To this, Basil the Great adds:
I cannot convince myself that without
mutual love and without peace with all
people, in as far as it is within my
possibilities, I can call myself a
worthy servant of Jesus Christ
(Epistle 203, 2. PG 32, 737B). As
the same Saint notes, this is self-evident
for a Christian, for
nothing is so characteristic of a
Christian as to be a peacemaker
(Epistle 114. PG 32, 528B). The
peace of Christ is a mystical power that
springs forth from the reconciliation
between the human being and the heavenly
Father,
according to the providence of Christ,
Who brings all things to perfection in
Him and who makes peace ineffable and
predestined from the ages, and Who
reconciles us with Himself, and in
Himself with the Father
(Dionysius the Aeropagite,
On the Divine Names, 11, 5, PG 3,
953AB).
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At the same time, we are obligated to
underline that the gifts of peace and
justice also depend on human synergy. The
Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts when,
in repentance, we seek God’s peace and
righteousness. These gifts of peace and
justice are manifested wherever Christians
strive for the work of faith, love, and
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thes
1:3).
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Sin is a spiritual illness, whose external
symptoms include conflict, division,
crime, and war, as well as the tragic
consequences of these. The Church strives
to eliminate not only the external
symptoms of illness, but the illness
itself, namely, sin.
-
At the same time, the Orthodox Church
considers it is her duty to encourage all
that which genuinely serves the cause of
peace (Rom 14:19) and paves the way to
justice, fraternity, true freedom, and
mutual love among all children of the one
heavenly Father as well as between all
peoples who make up the one human family.
She suffers with all people who in various
parts of the world are deprived of the
benefits of peace and justice.
4. Peace and the Aversion of War
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The Church of Christ condemns war in
general, recognizing it as the result of
the presence of evil and sin in the world:
Where do wars and fights come from
among you? Do they not come from your
desires for pleasure that war in your
members?
(Jm 4:1). Every war threatens to destroy
creation and life.
This is most particularly the case with
wars with weapons of mass destruction
because their consequences would be
horrific not only because they lead to the
death of an unforeseeable number of
people, but also because they render life
unbearable for those who survive. They
also lead to incurable diseases, cause
genetic mutations and other disasters,
with catastrophic impact on future
generations.
The amassing not only of nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons, but of
all kinds of weapons, poses very serious
dangers inasmuch as they create a false
sense of superiority and dominance over
the rest of the world. Moreover, such
weapons create an atmosphere of fear and
mistrust, becoming the impetus for a new
arms race.
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The Church of Christ, which understands
war as essentially the result of evil and
sin in the world, supports all initiatives
and efforts to prevent or avert it through
dialogue and every other viable means.
When war becomes inevitable, the Church
continues to pray and care in a pastoral
manner for her children who are involved
in military conflict for the sake of
defending their life and freedom, while
making every effort to bring about the
swift restoration of peace and freedom.
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The Orthodox Church resolutely condemns
the multifaceted conflicts and wars
provoked by fanaticism that derives from
religious principles. There is grave
concern over the permanent trend of
increasing oppression and persecution of
Christians and other communities in the
Middle East and elsewhere because of their
beliefs; equally troubling are the
attempts to uproot Christianity from its
traditional homelands. As a result,
existing interfaith and international
relations are threatened, while many
Christians are forced to abandon their
homes. Orthodox Christians throughout the
world suffer with their fellow Christians
and all those being persecuted in this
region, while also calling for a just and
lasting resolution to the region’s
problems.
Wars inspired by nationalism and leading
to ethnic cleansing, the violation of
state borders, and the seizure of
territory are also condemned.
E. The Attitude of the Church Toward
Discrimination
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The Lord, as King of righteousness (Heb
7:2-3) denounces violence and injustice
(Ps 10:5), while condemning the inhumane
treatment of one’s neighbor (Mt 25:41-46;
Jm 2:15-16). In His Kingdom, reflected and
present in His Church on earth, there is
no place for hatred, enmity, or
intolerance (Is 11:6; Rom 12:10).
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The Orthodox Church’s position on this is
clear. She believes that God
has made from one blood every nation of
men to dwell on all the face of the
earth
(Acts 17:26) and that in Christ
there is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither slave nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for you are all
one in Christ Jesus
(Gal 3:28). To the question:
Who is my neighbor?, Christ
responded with the parable of the Good
Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). In so doing, He
taught us to tear down all barriers
erected by enmity and prejudice. The
Orthodox Church confesses that every human
being, regardless of skin color, religion,
race, sex, ethnicity, and language, is
created in the image and likeness of God,
and enjoys equal rights in society.
Consistent with this belief, the Orthodox
Church rejects discrimination for any of
the aforementioned reasons since these
presuppose a difference in dignity between
people.
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The Church, in the spirit of respecting
human rights and equal treatment of all,
values the application of these principles
in the light of her teaching on the
sacraments, the family, the role of both
genders in the Church, and the overall
principles of Church tradition. The Church
has the right to proclaim and witness to
her teaching in the public sphere.
F. The Mission of the Orthodox
Church
As a Witness of Love through
Service
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In fulfilling her salvific mission in the
world, the Orthodox Church actively cares
for all people in need, including the
hungry, the poor, the sick, the disabled,
the elderly, the persecuted, those in
captivity and prison, the homeless, the
orphans, the victims of destruction and
military conflict, those affected by human
trafficking and modern forms of slavery.
The Orthodox Church’s efforts to confront
destitution and social injustice are an
expression of her faith and the service to
the Lord, Who identifies Himself with
every person and especially with those in
need:
Inasmuch as you did it to one of the
least of these my brethren, you did it
to me
(Mt 25:40). This multidimensional social
service enables the Church to cooperate
with various relevant social institutions.
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Competition and enmity in the world
introduce injustice and inequitable access
among individuals and peoples to the
resources of divine creation. They deprive
millions of people of fundamental goods
and lead to the degradation of human
person; they incite mass migrations of
populations, and they engender ethnic,
religious, and social conflicts, which
threaten the internal cohesion of
communities.
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The Church cannot remain indifferent
before economic conditions that negatively
impact humanity as a whole. She insists
not only on the need for the economy to be
grounded upon ethical principles, but that
it must also tangibly serve the needs of
human beings in accordance with the
teaching of the Apostle Paul:
By laboring like this, you must support
the weak. And remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, that he said, ‘It is more
blessed to give than to receive’
(Acts 20:35). Basil the Great writes that
each person should make it his duty to
help those in need and not satisfy his
own needs
(Moral Rules, 42. PG 31, 1025A).
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The gap between rich and poor is
dramatically exacerbated due to the
financial crisis, which normally results
from the unbridled profiteering by some
representatives of financial circles,
the concentration of wealth in the hands
of the few, and perverted business
practices devoid of justice and
humanitarian sensitivity, which ultimately
do not serve humanity’s true needs. A
sustainable economy is that which combines
efficiency with justice and social
solidarity.
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In light of such tragic circumstances, the
Church’s great responsibility is perceived
in terms of overcoming hunger and all
other forms of deprivation in the world.
One such phenomenon in our time—whereby
nations operate within a globalized
economic system—points to the world’s
serious identity crisis, for hunger not
only threatens the divine gift of life of
whole peoples, but also offends the lofty
dignity and sacredness of the human
person, while simultaneously offending
God. Therefore, if concern over our own
sustenance is a material issue, then
concern over feeding our neighbor is a
spiritual issue (Jm 2:14-18).
Consequently, it is the mission of all
Orthodox Churches to exhibit solidarity
and administer assistance effectively to
those in need.
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The Holy Church of Christ, in her
universal body—embracing in her fold many
peoples on earth—emphasizes the principle
of universal solidarity and supports the
closer cooperation of nations and states
for the sake of resolving conflicts
peacefully.
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The Church is concerned about the
ever-increasing imposition upon humanity
of a consumerist lifestyle, devoid of
Christian ethical principles. In this
sense, consumerism combined with secular
globalization tends to lead to the loss of
nations’ spiritual roots, their historical
loss of memory, and the forgetfulness of
their traditions.
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Mass media frequently operates under the
control of an ideology of liberal
globalization and is thus rendered an
instrument for disseminating consumerism
and immorality. Instances of
disrespectful—at times
blasphemous—attitudes toward religious
values are cause for particular concern,
inasmuch as arousing division and conflict
in society. The Church warns her children
of the risk of influence on their
conscience by the mass media, as well as
its use to manipulate rather than bring
people and nations together.
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Even as the Church proceeds to preach and
realize her salvific mission for the
world, she is all the more frequently
confronted by expressions of secularism.
The Church of Christ in the world is
called to express once again and to
promote the content of her prophetic
witness to the world, grounded on the
experience of faith and recalling her true
mission through the proclamation of the
Kingdom of God and the cultivation of a
sense of unity among her flock. In this
way, she opens up a broad field of
opportunity since an essential element of
her ecclesiology promotes Eucharistic
communion and unity within a shattered
world.
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The yearning for continuous growth in
prosperity and an unfettered consumerism
inevitably lead to a disproportionate use
and depletion of natural resources.
Nature, which was created by God and given
to humankind to
work and preserve (cf. Gen 2:15),
endures the consequences of human sin:
For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of
him who subjected it in hope; because
the creation itself also will be
delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the
children of God. For we know that the
whole creation groans and labors with
birth pangs together until now
(Rom 8:20-22).
The ecological crisis, which is connected
to climate change and global warming,
makes it incumbent upon the Church to do
everything within her spiritual power to
protect God’s creation from the
consequences of human greed. As the
gratification of material needs, greed
leads to spiritual impoverishment of the
human being and to environmental
destruction. We should not forget that the
earth’s natural resources are not our
property, but the Creator’s:
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its
fullness, the world, and those who dwell
therein
(Ps 23:1). Therefore, the Orthodox Church
emphasizes the protection of God’s
creation through the cultivation of human
responsibility for our God-given
environment and the promotion of the
virtues of frugality and self-restraint.
We are obliged to remember that not only
present, but also future generations have
a right to enjoy the natural goods granted
to us by the Creator.
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For the Orthodox Church, the ability to
explore the world scientifically is a gift
from God to humanity. However, along with
this positive attitude, the Church
simultaneously recognizes the dangers
latent in the use of certain scientific
achievements. She believes that the
scientist is indeed free to conduct
research, but that the scientist is also
obliged to interrupt this research when it
violates basic Christian and humanitarian
values. According to St. Paul,
All things are lawful for me, but all
things are not helpful
(I Cor 6:12), and according to St. Gregory
the Theologian,
Goodness is not goodness if the means
are wrong
(1st Theological Oration, 4, PG
36, 16C). This perspective of the Church
proves necessary for many reasons in order
to establish proper boundaries for freedom
and the application of the fruits of
science, where in almost all disciplines,
but especially in biology, we can expect
both new achievements and risks. At the
same time, we emphasize the unquestionable
sacredness of human life from its
conception.
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Over the last years, we observe an immense
development in the biological sciences and
in corresponding biotechnologies. Many of
these achievements are considered
beneficial for humankind, while others
raise ethical dilemmas and still others
are deemed unacceptable. The Orthodox
Church believes that the human being is
not merely a composition of cells, bones,
and organs; nor again is the human person
defined solely by biological factors. Man
is created in the image of God (Gen 1:27)
and reference to humanity must take place
with due respect. The recognition of this
fundamental principle leads to the
conclusion that, both in the process of
scientific investigation as well as in the
practical application of new discoveries
and innovations, we should preserve the
absolute right of each individual to be
respected and honored at all stages of
life. Moreover, we should respect the will
of God as manifested through creation.
Research must take into account ethical
and spiritual principles, as well as
Christian precepts. Indeed, due respect
must be rendered to all of God’s creation
in regard to both the way humanity treats
and science explores it, in accordance to
God’s commandment (Gen 2:15).
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In these times of secularization marked by
a spiritual crisis characteristic of
contemporary civilization, it is
especially necessary to highlight the
significance of life’s sacredness. The
misunderstanding of freedom as
permissiveness leads to an increase in
crime, the destruction and defacement of
those things held in high regard, as well
as the total disrespect of our neighbor’s
freedom and of the sacredness of life.
Orthodox Tradition, shaped by the
experience of Christian truths in
practice, is the bearer of spirituality
and the ascetic ethos, which must
especially be encouraged in our time.
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The Church’s special pastoral care for
young people represents an unceasing and
unchanging Christ-centered process of
formation. Of course, the pastoral
responsibility of the Church also extends
to the divinely-granted institution of
family, which has always been and must
always be founded on the sacred mystery of
Christian marriage as a union between man
and woman, as reflected in the union of
Christ and His Church (Eph 5:32). This is
especially vital in light of attempts in
certain countries to legalize and in
certain Christian communities to justify
theologically other forms of human
cohabitation that are contrary to
Christian tradition and teaching. The
Church hopes for the recapitulation of
everything in the Body of Christ, it
reminds every person coming into the
world, that Christ will return again at
His Second Coming
judging the living and the dead
(1 Pet 4, 5) and that
His Kingdom shall have no end (Lk
1:33)
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In our times, just as throughout history,
the prophetic and pastoral voice of the
Church, the redeeming word of the Cross
and of the Resurrection, appeals to the
heart of humankind, calling us, with the
Apostle Paul, to embrace and experience
whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are
just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are
of good report
(Phil 4:8)—namely, the sacrificial love of
Her Crucified Lord, the only way to a
world of peace, justice, freedom, and love
among peoples and between nations, whose
only and ultimate measure is always the
sacrified Lord (cf. Rev 5:12) for the life
of the world, that is, endless Love of God
in the Triune God, of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, to whom
belongs all glory and power unto the ages
of ages.
† Bartholomew of Constantinople, Chairman
† Theodoros of Alexandria
† Theophilos of Jerusalem
† Irinej of Serbia
† Daniel of Romania
† Chrysostomos of Cyprus
† Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece
† Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland
† Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All
Albania
† Rastislav of Presov, the Czech Lands and
Slovakia
Delegation of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate
† Leo of Karelia and All Finland
† Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia
† Elder Metropolitan John of Pergamon
† Elder Archbishop Demetrios of America
† Augustinos of Germany
† Irenaios of Crete
† Isaiah of Denver
† Alexios of Atlanta
† Iakovos of the Princes’ Islands
† Joseph of Proikonnisos
† Meliton of Philadelphia
† Emmanuel of France
† Nikitas of the Dardanelles
† Nicholas of Detroit
† Gerasimos of San Francisco
† Amphilochios of Kisamos and Selinos
† Amvrosios of Korea
† Maximos of Selyvria
† Amphilochios of Adrianopolis
† Kallistos of Diokleia
† Antony of Hierapolis, Head of the
Ukrainian Orthodox in the USA
† Job of Telmessos
† Jean of Charioupolis, Head of the
Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes
of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe
† Gregory of Nyssa, Head of the
Carpatho-Russian Orthodox in the USA
Delegation of the Patriarchate of
Alexandria
† Gabriel of Leontopolis
† Makarios of Nairobi
† Jonah of Kampala
† Seraphim of Zimbabwe and Angola
† Alexandros of Nigeria
† Theophylaktos of Tripoli
† Sergios of Good Hope
† Athanasios of Cyrene
† Alexios of Carthage
† Ieronymos of Mwanza
† George of Guinea
† Nicholas of Hermopolis
† Dimitrios of Irinopolis
† Damaskinos of Johannesburg and Pretoria
† Narkissos of Accra
† Emmanouel of Ptolemaidos
† Gregorios of Cameroon
† Nicodemos of Memphis
† Meletios of Katanga
† Panteleimon of Brazzaville and Gabon
† Innokentios of Burudi and Rwanda
† Crysostomos of Mozambique
† Neofytos of Nyeri and Mount Kenya
Delegation of the Patriarchate of
Jerusalem
† Benedict of Philadelphia
† Aristarchos of Constantine
† Theophylaktos of Jordan
† Nektarios of Anthidon
† Philoumenos of Pella
Delegation of the Church of
Serbia
† Jovan of Ohrid and Skopje
† Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral
† Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana
† Vasilije of Sirmium
† Lukijan of Budim
† Longin of Nova Gracanica
† Irinej of Backa
† Hrizostom of Zvornik and Tuzla
† Justin of Zica
† Pahomije of Vranje
† Jovan of Sumadija
† Ignatije of Branicevo
† Fotije of Dalmatia
† Athanasios of Bihac and Petrovac
† Joanikije of Niksic and Budimlje
† Grigorije of Zahumlje and Hercegovina
† Milutin of Valjevo
† Maksim in Western America
† Irinej in Australia and New Zealand
† David of Krusevac
† Jovan of Slavonija
† Andrej in Austria and Switzerland
† Sergije of Frankfurt and in Germany
† Ilarion of Timok
Delegation of the Church of
Romania
† Teofan of Iasi, Moldova and Bucovina
† Laurentiu of Sibiu and Transylvania
† Andrei of Vad, Feleac, Cluj, Alba, Crisana
and Maramures
† Irineu of Craiova and Oltenia
† Ioan of Timisoara and Banat
† Iosif in Western and Southern Europe
† Serafim in Germany and Central Europe
† Nifon of Targoviste
† Irineu of Alba Iulia
† Ioachim of Roman and Bacau
† Casian of Lower Danube
† Timotei of Arad
† Nicolae in America
† Sofronie of Oradea
† Nicodim of Strehaia and Severin
† Visarion of Tulcea
† Petroniu of Salaj
† Siluan in Hungary
† Siluan in Italy
† Timotei in Spain and Portugal
† Macarie in Northern Europe
† Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to
the Patriarch
† Emilian Lovisteanul, Assistant Bishop to
the Archdiocese of Ramnic
† Ioan Casian of Vicina, Assistant Bishop to
the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the
Americas
Delegation of the Church of
Cyprus
† Georgios of Paphos
† Chrysostomos of Kition
† Chrysostomos of Kyrenia
† Athanasios of Limassol
† Neophytos of Morphou
† Vasileios of Constantia and Ammochostos
† Nikiphoros of Kykkos and Tillyria
† Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini
† Barnabas of Tremithousa and Lefkara
† Christophoros of Karpasion
† Nektarios of Arsinoe
† Nikolaos of Amathus
† Epiphanios of Ledra
† Leontios of Chytron
† Porphyrios of Neapolis
† Gregory of Mesaoria
Delegation of the Church of
Greece
† Prokopios of Philippi, Neapolis and
Thassos
† Chrysostomos of Peristerion
† Germanos of Eleia
† Alexandros of Mantineia and Kynouria
† Ignatios of Arta
† Damaskinos of Didymoteixon, Orestias and
Soufli
† Alexios of Nikaia
† Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Aghios Vlasios
† Eusebios of Samos and Ikaria
† Seraphim of Kastoria
† Ignatios of Demetrias and Almyros
† Nicodemos of Kassandreia
† Ephraim of Hydra, Spetses and Aegina
† Theologos of Serres and Nigrita
† Makarios of Sidirokastron
† Anthimos of Alexandroupolis
† Barnabas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis
† Chrysostomos of Messenia
† Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnon and
Petroupoli
† Ioannis of Lagkada, Litis and Rentinis
† Gabriel of New Ionia and Philadelphia
† Chrysostomos of Nikopolis and Preveza
† Theoklitos of Ierissos, Mount Athos and
Ardameri
Delegation of the Church of
Poland
† Simon of Lodz and Poznan
† Abel of Lublin and Chelm
† Jacob of Bialystok and Gdansk
† George of Siemiatycze
† Paisios of Gorlice
Delegation of the Church of
Albania
† Joan of Koritsa
† Demetrios of Argyrokastron
† Nikolla of Apollonia and Fier
† Andon of Elbasan
† Nathaniel of Amantia
† Asti of Bylis
Delegation of the Church of the Czech
lands and Slovakia
† Michal of Prague
† Isaiah of Sumperk