Orthodox Fundamentalism-Ορθόδοξος φονταμενταλισμός (text in English & Greek)

 by George E. Demacopoulos: Professor of Historical Theology; Director and Co-Founder, Orthodox Christian Studies Center  at Fordham University

One of the cornerstones of Orthodox Christianity is its reverence for the great Fathers of the Church who were not only exemplars of holiness but were also the greatest intellectuals of their age.  The writings of men like St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Maximos the Confessor have been and will always remain essential guides to Orthodox Christian living and Orthodox Christian faith.

Thus it is alarming that so many Orthodox clerics and monks in recent years have made public statements that reflect a “fundamentalist” approach to the Church Fathers.  And unless leaders of the Orthodox Church unite to repudiate this development, the entire Orthodox Church is at risk of being hijacked by extremists.

Like other fundamentalist movements, Orthodox fundamentalism reduces all theological teaching to a subset of theological axioms and then measures the worthiness of others according to them.  Typically, this manifests itself in accusations that individuals, institutions, or entire branches of the Orthodox Church fail to meet the self-prescribed standard for Orthodox teaching.  For example, when the Theological Academy of Volos recently convened an international conference to examine the role of the Fathers in the modern Church, radical opportunists in the Church of Greece accused it and its bishop of heresy.

The key intellectual error in Orthodox fundamentalism lies in the presupposition that the Church Fathers agreed on all theological and ethical matters.  That miscalculation, no doubt, is related to another equally flawed assumption that Orthodox theology has never changed—clearly it has or else there would have been no need for the Fathers to build consensus at successive Ecumenical Councils. 

The irony, as identified by recent scholarship on fundamentalism, is that while fundamentalists claim to protect the Orthodox Christian faith from the corruption of modernity, their vision of Orthodox Christianity is, itself, a very modern phenomenon.  In other words, Orthodoxy never was what fundamentalists claim it to be. 

Indeed, a careful reading of Christian history and theology makes clear that some of the most influential saints of the Church disagreed with one another—at times quite bitterly. St. Peter and St. Paul were at odds over circumcision.  St. Basil and St. Gregory the Theologian clashed over the best way to recognize the divinity of Holy Spirit.  And St. John Damascene, who lived in a monastery in the Islamic Caliphate, abandoned the hymnographical tradition that preceded him in order to develop a new one that spoke to the needs of his community.

It is important to understand that Orthodox fundamentalists reinforce their reductionist reading of the Church Fathers with additional falsehoods.  One of the most frequently espoused is the claim that the monastic community has always been the guardian of Orthodox teaching.  Another insists that the Fathers were anti-intellectual.  And a third demands that adherence to the teachings of the Fathers necessitates that one resist all things Western.  Each of these assertions is patently false for specific reasons, but they are all symptomatic of an ideological masquerade that purports to escape the modern world.

The insidious danger of Orthodox fundamentalists is that they obfuscate the difference between tradition and fundamentalism.  By repurposing the tradition as a political weapon, the ideologue deceives those who are not inclined to question the credibility of their religious leaders.

In an age when so many young people are opting out of religious affiliation altogether, the expansion of fundamentalist ideology into ordinary parishes is leading to a situation where our children are choosing between religious extremism or no religion at all.

It is time for Orthodox hierarchs and lay leaders to proclaim broadly that the endearing relevance of the Church Fathers does not lie in the slavish adherence to a fossilized set of propositions used in self-promotion.  The significance of the Fathers lies in their earnest and soul-wrenching quest to seek God and to share Him.

Ένας από τους ακρογωνιαίους λίθους της Ορθοδοξίας είναι η ευλάβεια της για τους μεγάλους Πατέρες της Εκκλησίας, οι οποίοι δεν υπήρξαν  μόνο υποδείγματα αγιότητας, αλλά και οι μεγαλύτεροι  διανοούμενοι της εποχής  τους. Τα κείμενα αγίων όπως ο Μέγας Βασίλειος, ο Γρηγόριος Θεολόγος ή ο  Μάξιμος Ομολογητής, αποτέλεσαν, και θα συνεχίσουν να αποτελούν, απαραίτητους οδηγούς στη χριστιανική πίστη και ζωή.

Είναι, όμως, ανησυχητικό το γεγονός ότι κατά τα τελευταία χρόνια, αρκετοί ορθόδοξοι κληρικοί και μοναχοί έχουν προχωρήσει σε δημόσιες δηλώσεις και τοποθετήσεις, εκφράζοντας μια «φονταμενταλιστική» προσέγγιση των Πατέρων της Εκκλησίας. Αν οι ηγέτες της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας δεν ενωθούν και δεν συντονιστούν προκειμένου να αντιμετωπίσουν αυτή την εξέλιξη,  η  Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία στο σύνολό τηςκινδυνεύει να κυριευθεί από εξτρεμιστές.

Όπως και άλλα φονταμενταλιστικά κινήματα, έτσι και ο ορθόδοξος φονταμενταλισμός περιορίζει ολάκερη τη θεολογική διδασκαλία σε ένα υποσύνολο θεολογικών αξιωμάτων, κρίνοντας στη συνέχεια την αξία  των  άλλων σύμφωνα με αυτά. Η τάση αυτή εκδηλώνεται  συνήθως  με  κατηγορίες σύμφωνα με τις οποίες μεμονωμένα άτομα, θεσμοί ή ολόκληροι κλάδοι της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας δεν ανταποκρίνονται σ’ αυτό το αυτο-επιβαλλόμενο πρότυπο ορθόδοξης διδασκαλίας.  Για παράδειγμα, όταν η Ακαδημία Θεολογικών Σπουδών Βόλου  διοργάνωσε  το 2010 ένα διεθνές συνέδριο  προκειμένου να εξεταστεί ο ρόλος των  Πατέρων στη σύγχρονη  εποχή, διάφοροι επικίνδυνοι καιροσκόποι στην Εκκλησία  της  Ελλάδος την κατηγόρησαν, όπως και τον τοπικό επίσκοπο, για αίρεση.

Το βασικό πνευματικό σφάλμα του ορθόδοξου φονταμενταλισμού έγκειται στην υπόθεση ότι οι Πατέρες της Εκκλησίας συμφωνούν μεταξύ τους σε όλα τα θεολογικά και ηθικά θέματα. Αυτή η παρανόηση συνδέεται, χωρίς αμφιβολία, με μια άλλη εξίσου εσφαλμένη πεποίθηση, ότι δηλ. η ορθόδοξη  θεολογία δεν έχει υποστεί καμία μεταβολή –ωστόσο κάτι τέτοιο δεν είναι αλήθεια, καθώς διαφορετικά δεν θα υπήρχε καμία ανάγκη για τους Πατέρες  να ενδιαφέρονται για την οικοδόμηση ενός consensus, μιας συμφωνίας δηλ.  στις διάφορες Οικουμενικές Συνόδους.

Η ειρωνεία, όπως προσδιορίζεται από την πρόσφατη μελέτη του φονταμενταλισμού, είναι ότι, ενώ οι φονταμενταλιστές ισχυρίζονται ότι προστατεύουν την ορθόδοξη χριστιανική πίστη από την διαφθορά της νεωτερικότητας, το όραμα που έχουν για τον Ορθόδοξο Χριστιανισμό  είναι καθ’ αυτό ένα πολύ σύγχρονο φαινόμενο. Με άλλα λόγια, η Ορθοδοξία  ποτέ δεν ήταν αυτό που φονταμενταλιστές ισχυρίζονται ότι είναι.

Πράγματι, μια προσεκτική ανάγνωση της χριστιανικής ιστορίας και θεολογίας καθιστά σαφές ότι ορισμένοι από τους πλέον σημαίνοντες αγίους της Εκκλησίας είχαν διαφωνίες μεταξύ τους, μερικές φορές μάλιστα πολύ έντονες. Για παράδειγμα οι απόστολοι Πέτρος και Παύλος διαφωνούσαν σχετικά με την περιτομή. Ο Μέγας Βασίλειος και ο Γρηγόριος ο Θεολόγος συγκρούστηκαν σχετικά με το ποιος είναι ο καλύτερος τρόπος για την αναγνώριση της θεότητας του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Και ο άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, ο οποίος έζησε σε ένα μοναστήρι στα όρια του ισλαμικού  χαλιφάτου, εγκατέλειψε την προγενέστερή του υμνογραφική παράδοση,  προκειμένου να αναπτύξει μια νέα που θα ανταποκρινόταν στις ανάγκες της κοινότητάς του.

Είναι σημαντικό να αντιληφθούμε ότι οι ορθόδοξοι  φονταμενταλιστές επιχειρούν να ενισχύουν την εκ μέρους τους απλουστευτική ανάγνωση των Πατέρων της Εκκλησίας, με επιπλέον αναλήθειες και ψεύδη. Ένα από αυτά τα πιο συνηθισμένα ψεύδη, είναι ο ισχυρισμός τους ότι ο μοναχισμός  υπήρξε ανέκαθεν ο θεματοφύλακας της ορθοδόξου διδασκαλίας.  Ένα άλλο επιμένει ότι οι Πατέρες ήταν αντίθετοι στο στοχασμό. Ενώ ένα τρίτο προβάλλει την ιδέα ότι η συμμόρφωση προς τη διδασκαλία των Πατέρων προϋποθέτει την αντίσταση προς οτιδήποτε προέρχεται από τη Δύση. Όλοι οι παραπάνω ισχυρισμοί είναι προφανώς λανθασμένοι  για συγκεκριμένους λόγους, ωστόσο αποτελούν όλοι μαζί συμπτώματα μιας ιδεολογικής μεταμφίεσης που επιδιώκει την απόδραση από το σύγχρονο κόσμο.

Ούπουλος κίνδυνος των ορθόδοξων φονταμενταλιστών είναι ότι συσκοτίζουν τη διαφορά ανάμεσα στην παράδοση και τον φονταμενταλισμό.  Χρησιμοποιώντας την παράδοση ως πολιτικό όπλο, ο ιδεολόγος εξαπατά εκείνους που δεν είναι διατεθειμένοι να αμφισβητήσουν την αξιοπιστία των θρησκευτικών ηγετών τους.

Σε μια εποχή που τόσοι πολλοί νέοι άνθρωποι επιλέγουν να μείνουν μακριά από κάθε θρησκευτική παράδοση και εκλησιαστικό θεσμό, η εξάπλωση της φονταμενταλιστικής ιδεολογίας στις ενορίες οδηγεί σε μια κατάσταση όπου ταπαιδιά μας καλούνται να επιλέξουν μεταξύ ενός θρησκευτικού εξτρεμισμού ή της καθολικής θρησκευτικής αδιαφορίας.

Είναι καιρός οι ορθόδοξοι αρχιερείς και οι λαϊκοί που κατέχουν υπεύθυνες θέσεις να διακηρύξουν προς κάθε κατεύθυνση ότι η ιδιαίτερη σπουδαιότητα των Πατέρων της Εκκλησίας δεν έγκειται στη δουλική τήρηση ενός απολιθωμένου συνόλου προτάσεων που χρησιμοποιούνται με σκοπό την αυτοπροβολή. Η σημασία των Πατέρων βρίσκεται στην ειλικρινή και από τα βάθη της ψυχής τους προσπάθεια αναζήτησης του Θεού και της συνάντησής τουμε τον κόσμο. Η φονταμενταλιστική ανάγνωση τόσο των Πατέρων όσο και της Αγίας Γραφής δεν οδηγεί ποτέ στον Θεό. Αντίθετα οδηγεί στην ειδωλολατρία.

* Γεώργιος Δημακόπουλος Καθηγητής Ιστορικής Θεολογίας, Διευθυντής και Συν-Ιδρυτής του Κέντρου Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανικών Σπουδών Πανεπιστήμιου Fordham, Νέα Υόρκη, Η.Π.Α.
Μετάφραση: Νικόλαος Ασπρούλης, Υπ. Δρ. Φιλοσοφίας ΕΑΠ, Επιστημονικός Συνεργάτης Ακαδημίας Θεολογικών Σπουδών Βόλου και περιοδικού Θεολογία
ΠΗΓΗ: Το πρωτότυπο αγγλικό κείμενο έχει δημοσιευτεί στο ιστολόγιο της Ελληνορθόδοξης Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής: blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/orthodox-fundamentalism. Η ελληνική μετάφραση του κειμένου έχει δημοσιευτεί στο Πρακτορείο Εκκλησιαστικών Ειδήσεων, Amen (amen.gr). Το είδα: http://www.acadimia.org/index.php/el/nea-anakoinoseis/deltia-typou/613-orthodoksos-fontamentalismos

Environmental Justice and Peace Quotes by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

  Ecumenical Patriarchate

"If human beings were to treat one another’s personal property the way they treat the natural environment, we would view that behavior as anti-social and illegal. We would expect legal sanctions and even compensation. When will we learn that to commit a crime against the natural world is also a sin?"

"The way we respond to the natural environment is directly reflects the way we treat human beings. The willingness to exploit the environment is revealed in the willingness to permit avoidable human suffering. So the survival of the natural environment is also the survival of ourselves. When we will understand that a crime against nature is a crime against ourselves and sin against God?"

"We have traditionally regarded sin as being merely what people do to other people. Yet, for human beings to destroy the biological diversity in God’s creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by contributing to climate change, by stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth’s waters, land and air – all of these are sins."

"We are treating our planet in an inhuman, godless manner precisely because we fail to see it as a gift inherited from above. Our original sin with regard to the natural environment lies in our refusal to accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and neighbor on a global scale. It is our humble conviction that divine and human meet in the slightest detail contained in the seamless garment of God’s creation, in the last speck of dust."

"It should not be fear of impending disaster with regard to global change that obliges us to change our ways with regard to the natural environment. Rather, it should be a recognition of the cosmic harmony and original beauty that exists in the world. We must learn to make our communities more sensitive and to render our behavior toward nature more respectful. We must acquire a compassionate heart – what St. Isaac of Syria, a seventh century mystic once called a heart that burns with love for the whole of creation: for humans, for birds and beasts, for all God’s creatures.

"The fundamental criterion for an ecological ethic is not individualistic or commercial. It is deeply spiritual. For, the root of the environmental crisis lies in human greed and selfishness. What is asked of us is not greater technological skill, but deeper repentance for our wrongful and wasteful ways. What is demanded is a sense of sacrifice, which comes with cost but also brings about fulfillment. Only through such self-denial, through our willingness sometimes to forgo and to say “no” or “enough” will we rediscover our true human place in the universe."

"This sacrifice for the sake of sharing means learning to give, and not simply to give up. It is learning to share and to connect with others and with the natural world. It is a way of loving, of moving gradually away from what I want to what God’s world needs. It is liberation from fear, greed and compulsion. It is regaining a sense of wonder, being filled with a sense of goodness, seeing all things in God, and God in all things."

"If we are guilty of relentless waste, it is because we have lost the spirit of worship. We are no longer respectful pilgrims on this earth; we have been reduced to careless consumers or passing travelers. This spiritual vision of worship guides us to a life that sees more clearly and shares more fairly, moving away from what we want individually to what the world needs globally. Then, we begin to value everything for its place in creation and not simply its economic value to us, thereby restoring the original beauty of the world, seeing all things in God and God in all things."

"We have been commanded to taste of the world’s fruits, not to waste them; we have been commissioned to care for the world, not to waste it. When Christ fed the multitudes with a few loaves and fish on a hill in Palestine, he instructed his disciples to “gather up all of the remaining fragments, so that nothing may be lost.” (John 6.12) This instruction should serve as a model in a time of wasteful consumption, where even the refuse of affluent societies can nourish entire populations."

"It is a qualitative element of our faith that we believe in and accept a Creator, who fashioned the world out of love, making and calling it “very good.” Tending to and caring for this creation is not a political whim or a social fashion. It is a divine commandment; it is a religious obligation. It is no less than the will of God that we leave as light a footprint on our environment."

"It is never too late. God’s world has incredible healing powers; and human choices can change the tide in global warming. Within a single generation, we could steer earth toward our children’s future. With God’s blessing and help, that generation can begin now. For the first time in the history of our world, we recognize that our decisions and choices directly impact the environment. It is up to us to shape our future; it is up to us to choose our destiny. Breaking the vicious circle of ecological degradation is a choice with which we are uniquely endowed, at this crucial moment in the history of our planet."

"Ecology cannot inspire respect for nature if it does not express a different worldview from the one that prevails in our culture today, from the one that led us to this ecological impasse in the first place. What is required is an act of repentance, a change in our established ways, a renewed image of ourselves, one another and the world around us within the perspective of the divine design for creation. To achieve this transformation, what is required is nothing less than a radical reversal of our perspectives and practices."

"Poverty is not caused by the lack of material resources. It is the immediate result of our exploitation and waste. There is a close link between the economy of the poor and the warming of our planet. Conservation and compassion are intimately connected. The web of life is a sacred gift of God -- ever so precious, yet ever so delicate. Each of us dwells within the wider ecosystem; each of us is a part of a larger, global environment. We must serve our neighbor and preserve our world with both humility and generosity, in a perspective of frugality and solidarity."

"All of us have to work, each from his or her own place in the world; indeed, we must work together, irrespective of religious conviction, racial origin, and professional discipline. Our efforts will remain meaningless and fruitless if they remain fragmented and isolated. For, the protection of the world’s natural beauty is one consideration, one concern, one song, to the glory of God and all creation.

"Climate change is much more than an issue of environmental preservation. Insofar as human-induced, it is a profoundly moral and spiritual problem. To persist in our current path of ecological destruction is not only folly. It is suicidal because it jeopardizes the diversity of our planet. Moreover, climate change constitutes a matter of social and economic justice. For, those who will most directly and severely be affected by climate change will be the poorer and more vulnerable nations (what Christian Scriptures refer to as our “neighbor”) as well as the younger and future generations (the world of our children, and of our children’s children)."

"Indigenous peoples throughout the world are the stewards and guardians not only of the forests and the seas, as well as of a vast store of knowledge about the natural world, which they regard as the “library of life.” They know the properties and potential uses of every living thing around them. The rest of the world is sometimes jealous of that knowledge, and indigenous peoples are understandably, and often justifiably, cautious about sharing it."

"The word “ecology” contains the prefix “eco,” which derives from the Greek word oikos, signifying “home” or “dwelling.” How unfortunate, then, and indeed how selfish it is that we have reduced its meaning and restricted its application. This world is indeed our home. Yet it is also the home of everyone, just as it is the home of every animal creature and of every form of life created by God. It is a sign of arrogance to presume that we human beings alone inhabit this world. Moreover, it is a sign of arrogance to imagine that only the present generation enjoys its resources."

"Whenever we narrow religious life to our own concerns, then we overlook the prophetic calling of the Church to implore God and invoke the divine Spirit for the renewal of the whole polluted cosmos. For, the entire world is the space within which this transformation is enacted. When we are transformed by divine grace, then we discern the injustice in which we are participants; but then we will also labor to share the resources of our planet; then, we realize that eco-justice is paramount -- not simply for a better life, but for our very survival."

"As Orthodox Christians, we use the Greek word kairos to describe a moment in time, often a brief moment in time, which has eternal significance. For the human race as a whole, there is now a kairos, a decisive time in our relationship with God’s creation. We will either act in time to protect life on earth from the worst consequences of human folly, or we will fail to act. May God grant us the wisdom to act in time. Amen."
 

[Source: John Chryssavgis, Cosmic Grace – Humble Prayer: The Ecological Vision of the Green Patriarch Bartholomew I, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids MI, 2008.]

ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΘΕΝ ΜΙΚΤΗΣ ΔΙΕΘΝΟΥΣ ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΥ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΛΟΥΘΗΡΑΝΩΝ (ΡΟΔΟΣ, 28 ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΥ - 5 ΜΑΪΟΥ 2015)

  Δημοσιεύση: Φως Φαναρίου

16th Session of the International Joint Commission on the Theological Dialogue 

between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation 

Rhodes, Greece, 28 April – 5 May 2015 

COMMUNIQUE 

The 16th Plenary of the International Joint Commission on the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation was held in the Apostolic island of Rhodes, Greece (28 April - 5 May), hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate under the auspices of His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes. 

A message with blessings and prayers was received during the Meeting from His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. 

The meeting was chaired by the two co-presidents, from the Orthodox side by H.E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr. Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical Patriarchate), and from the Lutheran World Federation side by Bishop (em.) Prof. Dr. Christoph Klein (Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Romania). 

Orthodox participants were delegates from the following Churches: H. E. Metropolitan Prof. Dr. Gennadios of Sassima and V. Rev. Second Patriarchal Deacon Dr. Theodoros Meimaris (co-secretary, Ecumenical Patriarchate), H. E. Metropolitan Dr. Makarios of Kenya and Εirinoupolis (Patriarchate of Alexandria), V. Rev. Alexi Chehadeh (Patriarchate of Antioch), V. Rev. Protopresbyter Prof. Dr. George Dion Dragas (Patriarchate of Jerusalem), V. Rev. Dr. Valentin Vassechko (Patriarchate of Moscow), Dr. Rade Kisić (Patriarchate of Serbia), Rev. Prof. Dr. Viorel Ionita (Patriarchate of Romania), V. Rev. Protopresbyter Prof. Dr. Georgios Zviadadze (Patriarchate of Georgia), H. E. Metropolitan Dr. Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini (Church of Cyprus), Prof. Dr. Christos Voulgaris (Church of Greece), V. Rev. Andrzej Minko (Church of Poland), Mr. Nathan Hoppe (Church of Albania), and Consultants: Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Delikostantis (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Rev. Dr. Cosmin Pricop (Patriarchate of Romania) and V. Rev. Stefanos Chrysanthou (Church of Cyprus). 

The following Lutheran participants were representing various member churches of the Lutheran World Federation: Bishop Prof. Dr. Christoph Klein (Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania), Prof. Dr. Kenneth G. Appold (ELCA, USA), Rev. Dr. Stephanie Dietrich (Church of Norway), Rev. Prof. Dr. Hermann Pitters (Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania), Superintendent Klaus Schwarz (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wurttemberg, Germany), Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Silcock (Lutheran Church of Australia), Rev. Dr. Jennifer Wasmuth (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hannover, Germany), Rev. Prof. Dr. Risto Saarinen (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland), Rev. Prof. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson (Institute for Ecumenical Research, France, Consultant) and Rev. Dr. Kaisamari Hintikka (LWF, co-secretary). 

Contacts between the Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II (Tranos) and Lutheran professors of the University of Tübingen, Germany, began in Europe at the time of the Reformation in the 16th century. Thus, the dialogue has historical precedent. The present official conversations between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation began in 1981 in Espoo, Finland, after three years of preparatory meetings. 

The Joint Commission, in its 15th Plenary Meeting in Wittenberg, Germany, in June 2011, launched the theme: ‘’The Mystery of the Church: F. Ordained Ministry/Priesthood’’. Meanwhile, the Commission held three preparatory meetings to study and consider specifically: 1. “The Understanding of Ministry/Priesthood in the Light of Holy Scripture and the Early Church” (London, United Kingdom, May 5-10, 2012), 2. a) ‘‘The Lutheran understanding of Ministry/Priesthood during the period of the Reformation’’, and b) ‘‘Apostolic Succession and Ordination from a historical, patristic and canonical point of view’’ (Sibiu, Romania, May 24-28, 2013), and 3. a) ‘‘Liturgical Texts on rites of ordination in Orthodox and in Lutheran traditions’’, and b) ‘‘The Lutheran understanding of the ordination of women to the priesthood, and the Orthodox understanding of the role and the place of women in the Church and the question of the ordination of women’’ (Tallinn, Estonia, May 8-13, 2014). 

The Commission studied papers and reports from the Preparatory Meetings of London, Sibiu and Tallinn, as well as new papers from both sides with commentaries on the above-mentioned Draft Statements. Intensive discussions revealed the need for further research especially on the Βiblical foundations and early Church teachings and on the Apostolicity of the Church, concerning the office of Ministry/Priesthood in both traditions. The Plenary Meeting formulated a new provisional Statement that will be developed further in the forth-coming meetings in the near future. 

The Commission, before completing its task, had an extended and thorough discussion about the landmark of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation initiated by the theology of Martin Luther, which will be solemnly celebrated in 2017. In addition, it was decided that appropriate festivities should take place during the next Joint Commission Plenary, to be hosted in 2017 by the Lutheran World Federation. 

H.E. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima informed the Commission about the intensive preparatory process for convening the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, scheduled to be held next year, 2016, in Constantinople upon the invitation of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the unanimous consent of all the Heads of the Holy Orthodox Churches. 

The intensive work of the Commission started with an opening Doxology Prayer at the Holy Monastery of the Mother of God ‘’Faneromeni’’, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes, who, during the opening session, addressed the Commission and stressed the significance of continuing this important dialogue in truth and love. Warm greetings were also extended to the participants by Mr. Fotis Chatzidiakos, Mayor of Rhodes, and Mr. Charalambos Kokkinos, Deputy State Representative in the region. 

The Commission members, in a prayer service, expressed their sympathy for and solidarity with the victims, the people and the children suffering from the recent devastating earthquake in Nepal. In addition, they extended their prayers for peace and reconciliation for all suffering people in the Middle East and in Ukraine.

On Friday, 1 May, the participants visited the Ecumenical Center of the Evangelical Church (German speaking) in Rhodes, warmly welcomed with prayers by the local pastor Rev. Dr Bernt Busch, and met with members of the local community.

On Sunday, 3 May, the group attended the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Rhodes celebrated by H.E. Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini, where the historic Pan-Orthodox Conferences of Rhodes started in 1961. Afterwards, the participants visited the archaeological sites and the medieval Castle of the old city, Lindos and the Philerimos Monastery. 

During the meeting the members further enjoyed the generous hospitality of the local Orthodox Church and of various parishes, and were grateful for the warm welcome extended by all. 

The next Preparatory Meeting of the Commission is scheduled to take place in 2016, hosted by the Orthodox. The meeting will deal with already identified topics from both sides which have not yet been fully developed on the way to constituting a final Statement on the discussed general theme ’’Ordained Ministry/Priesthood in the life of the Church’’. 

Rhodes, 4 May 2015

Η σημασία και σπουδαιότητα της Πανορθοδόξου Συνόδου του 2016. Επιστημονική Εκδήλωση

  

Επιμέλεια Ομ. Καθηγήτη Πέτρου Βασιλειάδη

ΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΑ ΣΗΜΑΝΤΙΚΗ Η ΠΑΝΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ
Πραγματοποιήθηκε με μεγάλη επιτυχία η εκδήλωση με θέμα: "Η σημασία και σπουδαιότητα της Πανορθοδόξου Συνόδου του 2016. Μια πρώτη επιστημονική καταγραφή και θεολογική εκτίμηση", στα πλαίσια των μεταπτυχιακών μαθημάτων οικουμενικής κατεύθυνσης του Τμήματος Θεολογίας του ΑΠΘ, των λοιπών επιλεγομένων και μεταπτυχιακών μαθημάτων των καθ. Νίκης Παπαγεωργίου και Στυλιανού Τσομπανίδη, και σε συνεργασία με το Κέντρο Οικουμενικών, Ιεραποστολικών και Περιβαλλοντικών Μελετών “Μητροπολίτης Παντελεήμων Παπαγεωργίου” (CEMES). Στην εκδήλωση εκτός του υπογράφοντος και των καθηγητών του Τμήματος Θεολογίας Γ. Μαρτζέλου και Στ. Τσομπανίδη, μετείχε και ο πρόεδρος του Τμήματος Ποιμαντικής και Κοινωνικής Θεολογίας και μέλος της ad hoc προσυνοδικής επιτροπής, κ. Θ. Γιαγκου και ο ομότιμος καθ. της Θεολογικής Σχολής του Sibiu, και ιερεύς του Πατριαρχείου της Ρουμανίας, π. Βασίλειος Mihoc.

Anglican Archbishop Welby: 'Dishonest' Unity That All Faiths Are Same May Fuel Religious Extremism

 CP church & ministry
by  Stoyan Zaimov
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has warned that pretending that all faiths are the same or united is "dishonest," and may be helping to fuel religious extremism.
Welby, who leads the Anglican Communion, said that some faith leaders hide behind "bland" and "anaemic" statements about unity and ignore the fact that there are "profound differences" between faiths, according to The Telegraph.

Welby, who was speaking before the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London, told Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders that the rise of persecution and religious violence around the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, is a "generational" threat that needs to be tackled with an "alternate vision."

"If we don't do that we leave all the good arguments in the hands of the radicals and that is the great challenge I face, and I believe we all face," the Archbishop of Canterbury said.

"If we're going to do that we have to come together and we have to have the difficult conversations in safe spaces and that's a very, very difficult thing up do."

Welby continued: "We need to move beyond inter-religious interaction in which we the usual suspects issue bland statements of anaemic intent with which you could paper the walls of Lambeth Palace – and much good would it do you – all desperate to agree with one another so that the very worst outcome could possibly be that we end up acknowledging our differences."

The Anglican Communion leader warned that not enough is being done in the face of the dangers religious people face in this day and age, and repeated that it is "disingenuous and ultimately dishonest" to disregard the "profound differences" between faiths.

"True friendships and relationships can withstand honesty about differences in values, opinions and religious understandings and a common commitment to mutual flourishing in diversity," he said.

Still, Welby has made strengthening relationships between Anglicans and Catholics an important part of his ministry, and earlier this week received the English Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols at the Royal Albert Hall.

Welby has also met with Pope Francis several times since the latter was elected as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, with the two promising to work on continuing to mend relationships between the two Christian traditions.

Welby has faced division within the Anglican Communion itself, however, with more conservative Anglican leaders voicing their opposition to recent changes in doctrine, such as the Church of England voting to allow women to become bishops.

Back in December 2014 Welby warned that the Anglican Communion may experience schism due to the debates on social issues.

"I think, realistically, we've got to say that despite all efforts there is a possibility that we will not hold together, or not hold together for a while," the Archbishop of Canterbury said.

"I could see circumstances in which there could be people moving apart and then coming back together, depending on what else happens."

Anglican-Catholic Commission to hold next year's meeting in Canada

Vatican Radio
 The fifth session of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission concluded this week with a decision to hold next year’s meeting near the southern Canadian city of Toronto.
The group, known as ARCIC III, met at a retreat house south of Rome from April 28th to May 4th to discuss relations between local, regional and Universal Churches and how moral or ethical decisions are made within each tradition. The Anglican and Catholic scholars have also been reviewing the substantial progress made by earlier ARCIC groups and are preparing to publish commentary on five jointly agreed statements from the previous phases of the dialogue.
During an audience with the group on Thursday, Pope Francis said these discussions remind us that ecumenism is not a secondary element in the life of the Church and that the differences which divide us must never be seen as inevitable.
Following that audience, Philippa Hitchen caught up with the two co-presidents of ARCIC III, Anglican Archbishop David Moxon from New Zealand and the Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham in the UK, Bernard Longley…

Archbishop Longley says the group has been discovering the richness of the work achieved by the earlier ARCIC groups which is now being put forward again for reception by the two communions.
Archbishop Moxon adds that many people are unaware of the progress that has been achieved in terms of agreement on core doctrines regarding authority, the Eucharist, marriage, ordination and the Church as communion. Agreement has not yet been reached, he notes, on the Gift of Authority document published in 1999 and the ‘Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ’ statement published in 2005. He adds that in his view there is broad agreement on 80% of core doctrine, while the remaining 20% presents significant challenges…
Archbishop Longley speaks of the encouragement the group has drawn from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical ‘Ut Unum Sint’ which asks other churches to help in an understanding of the Petrine ministry which can be exercised for the good of the whole human family and not be seen as an obstacle to closer unity…
Commenting on Pope Francis’ words about the ecumenism of the martyrs, Archbishop Moxon notes that in off-the-cuff remarks the Pope spoke of the Anglican and Catholic martyrs of Uganda who were murdered together in the 1880s. The Anglican archbishop also mentions the martyrs of Papua New Guinea from different churches who were killed during the 2nd World War and where ecumenical solidarity is now extremely strong….
Finally the two leaders speak of next year’s meeting in Canada and announce that the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is expected to visit the Vatican in 2016 in the context of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
Please find below the full concluding statement from the ARCIC meeting:
The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) is the official body appointed by the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion to engage in theological dialogue in order that they may come into visible unity and full ecclesial communion. It held the fifth meeting of its current phase (ARCIC III) in an atmosphere of shared prayer and friendship at Villa Palazzola, the summer residence of the Venerable English College in Rome, 28 April–4 May 2015. Members of the Commission are grateful to the staff of Villa Palazzola for the warm welcome extended to them.
The mandate for this third phase of ARCIC is both to promote the reception of the previous work of the Commission by presenting this as a corpus and to explore “The Church as Communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church come to discern right ethical teaching”. To this end the Commission’s work centred on examining two draft texts which had been prepared by sub-committee drafting groups since its previous meeting in Vuleka Centre, Botha’s Hill, South Africa.
The first of these draft texts considered was material to present the five agreed statements of ARCIC II so that they can be received by the respective Communions. This consists of individual introductions to each statement, whose text is included, and a brief consideration of the responses each document engendered, short essays concerning theological method and themes running through the documents, suggesting directions for future work. This work has made good progress and it is hoped that it will shortly be ready for publication.
The second text considered was a draft document responding to the ecclesiological element of the mandate, that is, an examination of the structures of our two traditions which facilitate communion within and among the local and regional and universal dimensions of the Church.
On Thursday 30 April the Commission travelled to Rome for a private audience with Pope Francis. The Pope encouraged the Commission in its work, and in the context of contemporary persecution of Christians noted, “There is a strong bond that already unites us which goes beyond all divisions.” Archbishop Bernard Longley thanked Pope Francis for the inspiration and leadership given by both him and Archbishop Justin Welby, “especially by your common commitment to seek justice for those who suffer exploitation or neglect.” Archbishop David Moxon cited the draft ARCIC II volume, and acknowledged with gratitude Pope Francis’s emphasis on the preaching of the Gospel, the simplicity of his personal lifestyle, his stress on ministry to the poor and marginalized, the positive role he has played in international reconciliation. He concluded by saying that all of these have “played their part in commending the ministry of the Bishop of Rome to Christians throughout the world”.
Later that day they celebrated the Eucharist at the Anglican Centre in Rome, which generously hosted the Commission for lunch and for two working sessions, during which it heard a paper on sensus fidei (the sense of faith) of all the baptised, and case studies on slavery. From there the group visited the Venerable English College, where presentations of the Commission’s work were made to the student body with time for questions and answers. Members then participated in Vespers and much appreciated the opportunity to join students and staff for dinner.
On Friday 1 May members welcomed Bishop Mark Santer and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Co-Chairs at the last time ARCIC met at Palazzola. The special guests led an informal session in which they recounted some of the narrative of ARCIC II under their leadership. They remained until the end of the meeting.
The Commission welcomed Canon John Gibaut as the new Anglican Co-Secretary, succeeding Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan. The Commission also extended its thanks to Fr Norman Tanner SJ, who participated as a consultant.
The next meeting will take place near Toronto in May 2016, when the Commission will take up a reworked draft of an ecclesiological statement comparing the instruments of communion of each tradition.Vatican Radio

Αναφορά για την Κλιματική Αλλαγή του Συμποσίου στο Βατικανό

Του Ιωάννου Λότσιου,

Το Συμπόσιο στο Βατικανό για την Κλιματική Αλλαγή με τον τίτλο «Προστατέψτε την γη, αξιοπρεπής ανθρωπότητα: Οι ηθικές διαστάσεις της Αλλαγής του Κλίματος και της αειφόρου ανάπτυξης»[1], αποτελεί ένα βήμα προς την ανάληψη πρωτοβουλιών για την επίλυση των προβλημάτων σχετικά με τον άνθρωπο και το περιβάλλον. Επιστήμη και Θρησκεία έδειξαν μια συνεργασία, αφ’ ενός η θρησκεία επιβεβαίωσε τα πορίσματα της επιστήμης και αφ΄ ετέρου η επιστήμη επιβεβαίωσε τις ηθικές διαστάσεις του προβλήματος. Αυτό φάνηκε ξεκάθαρα από την δήλωση του Γενικού Γραμματέα των Ηνωμένων Εθνών Μπαν Κι-Μουν, ότι δεν υπάρχει χάσμα μεταξύ θρησκείας και επιστήμης για την επίλυση του προβλήματος της κλιματικής αλλαγής του πλανήτη[2].

Ειδικότερα η συνάντηση του Γενικού Γραμματέα των Ηνωμένων Εθνών με τον Πάπα Φραγκίσκο, η παρουσία των πρωθυπουργών της Ιταλίας και του Ισημερινού.

Το Συμπόσιο με την συμμετοχή της Παπικής Ακαδημίας, των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και του Ινστιτούτου για την γη και την θρησκεία του Πανεπιστήμιου της Κολούμπια, συγκέντρωσε ένα ικανό αριθμό κορυφαίων επιστημόνων για την κλιματική αλλαγή, εμπειρογνώμονες για την ανάπτυξη, όπως και θρησκευτικούς εκπροσώπους, Καθολικών, Ορθοδόξων, Εβραίων, Μουσουλμάνων, Ινδουιστών, Βουδιστών κ.α.

Το συμπόσιο στόχευε στην νέα ώθηση ενδιαφέροντος- ενόψει της νέας Παπικής Εγκυκλίου για την Οικολογία- επικεντρώθηκε στις καθαρά ηθικές διαστάσεις της κλιματικής αλλαγής και της ανάπτυξης, με ιδιαίτερη αναφορά στους φτωχούς.

Ο Καρδινάλιος Peter Turkson στην ομιλία[3] του αναφέρθηκε στις ηθικές διαστάσεις του προβλήματος- μιας κοινωνίας που αυτό-προσδιορίζεται από την καταναλωτική μανία και τις νομισματικές αξίες- που ενισχύονται από ένα ήθος εγωιστικό και του ατομισμού, μια κοινωνία που δεν βλέπει τις κραυγές των φτωχών και αγνοεί την επιθετικότητα στην φύση. Περισσότερο, αναφερόμενος στον Κήπο της Εδέμ, τόσο στην Παλαιά αλλά και στην Καινή Διαθήκη, η υπερηφάνεια, ή ύβρη, ο εγωκεντρισμός, υπάρχει και σήμερα, και είναι επικίνδυνα και καταστροφικά. Ο Καρδινάλιος τόνισε ότι η έκκληση για προώθηση της ιδέας της αειφόρου ανάπτυξης, χρειάζεται μια ολική και ηθική προσέγγιση που συνδέει την οικονομική ευημερία, την κοινωνική ένταξη και την προστασία του φυσικού κόσμου. Για να πραγματοποιηθεί αυτό, τόνισε ο Καρδινάλιος, είναι απαραίτητη η λήψη μέτρων που έχουν ένα μια ηθική εντολή, για αυτούς που ζουν τώρα και για εκείνους που ακόμα δεν έχουν γεννηθεί. Για αυτό χρειάζεται μια αλλαγή του νου, στους τρόπους, τις συνήθειες, στις δομές και στους θεσμούς. Το αίτημα του Καρδιναλίου αποτέλεσε η ανάληψη δράσης από την Διεθνή Κοινότητα για τα μεγάλα θέματα, την χρηματοδότηση και την ανάπτυξη της Αντίς Αμπέμπα, την υιοθέτηση στόχων της αειφόρου ανάπτυξης στη Νέα Υόρκη και μια δεσμευτική συμφωνία στο Παρίσι.

Ο Ραβίνος David Rosen σημείωσε ότι η γη ανήκει στο θεό και δεν είναι ιδιοκτησία κανενός. Ο Μητροπολίτης Γαλλίας Εμμανουήλ, Εκπρόσωπος του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη, επισήμανε ότι η προστασία της δημιουργίας είναι προστασία της ανθρωπότητας και η προστασία της ανθρωπότητας είναι προστασία της δημιουργίας. Η Κλιματική αλλαγή είναι ένα σημάδι μιας τύφλωσης και απεύθυνε έκκληση για μια μετάνοια, όπου η αγάπη προς τον πλησίον, υπερισχύει των εγωιστικών συνηθειών.

Ο Γενικός Γραμματέας του Παγκόσμιου Συμβουλίου των Εκκλησιών, αναφέρθηκε στην ελπίδα, λόγο της πίστης και της ανάστασης, η αμαρτία και ο θάνατος δεν έχουν τον τελευταίο λόγο. Κάλεσε για μια ενδυνάμωση των σχέσεων των νέων ανθρώπων για να διαδώσουν το μήνυμα της ελπίδας.

Ο επικεφαλής της Ισλαμικής Οργάνωσης της Ινδονησίας, που ονομάζεται ‘’Ισλάμ, μια θρησκεία της φύσης’’, έκανε λόγο ότι για το Ισλάμ όλα τα πράγματα στον ουρανό και τη γη ανήκουν στον Θεό και δεν είναι ιδιοκτησία των ανθρώπων.

Ο Εκπρόσωπος του Ινδουισμού σημείωσε ότι ο κόσμος είναι οίκος του θεού και ζούμε εδώ μέσα την χάρη του. Μια λύση είναι μόνο μια πνευματική λύση του προβλήματος της κλιματικής αλλαγής.

Ο Εκπρόσωπος του Βουδισμού αναφέρθηκε στα δώρα της φύσης που η ζωή μας είναι πλήρως συνδεδεμένη και υπάρχει μια αλληλοσύνδεση. Κατά την τοποθέτηση του πρέπει να επιστρέψουμε στον αληθινό μας εαυτό.

Η Σύνοδος Κορυφής στην Τελική Δήλωση[4] (2 σελίδες), αναφέρεται η ότι η ανθρωπογενής αλλαγή του κλίματος είναι μια επιστημονική πραγματικότητα καθώς επίσης και η ηθική διάσταση είναι μια επιτακτική ανάγκη για την ανθρωπότητα σήμερα. Επίσης σημειώνει ότι η τεχνολογία, τα οικονομικά μέσα, η τεχνογνωσία, βοηθούν για την επίλυση των εκπομπών του άνθρακα. Ελπίζουν το Μήνυμα να αποτελεί ένα καταρράκτη ηθικών και θρησκευτικών φωνών που θα το κάνουν πραγματικότητα.

  

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[1] ‘’ Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity. The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Humanity’’, στο διαδίκτυο, http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/accademia/en/events/2015/protectearth.html

[2] ‘’REMARKS AT WORKSHOP ON THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Al\"D SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, "PROTECT THE EARTH, DIGNIFY HUMANITY" Vatican City, 28 April2015’’, στο διαδίκτυο http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/dam/accademia/pdf/protect/bankimoon.pdf.

[3] ‘’Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity: The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development’’, Casino Pio IV, Vatican City, 28 April 2015, στο διαδίκτυο, http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/dam/accademia/pdf/protect/turkson.pdf

[4]‘’Declaration of Religious Leaders, Political Leaders, Business Leaders, Scientists and Development Practitioners 28 April 2015’’, στο διαδίκτυο, http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/dam/accademia/pdf/protect/declaration.pdf.