Ecumenical Patriarch: Our life is a testimony of our faith in Christ
In His speech after the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out among other things: “The life of all of us Christians is and should be, a testimony of our faith in Christ, of our faith in the glory that our fathers bequeathed to us, but also of constant care for the salvation and growth of this patriarchal legacy so that to prove every day worthy descendants of glorious ancestors”.
“When we see you, the Christians of our Constantinople rushing to the celebrating temples, and showing so much devotion to the Mother Church, the belief that “the Lord lives” and the consolation that the Greek community and Orthodoxy live and will keep on living here is established within us. And how is it possible not to live, when each of us has a sense of responsibility towards the Church, towards the Nation, towards history, towards the coming generations?”.
On today’s 49th anniversary of the passing away of the Blessed Patriarch Athenagoras, the Ecumenical Patriarch noted:
“Every year on this day we cannot help but remember our predecessor Patriarch Athenagoras, who, as today, forty-nine years ago, fell asleep in the Lord. May God rest his soul among the saints and the righteous and hear his prayers for the Holy Church of Christ and the Greek Diaspora of Constantinople, but also for all Christianity. May his memory be eternal!
We, as the humble successor of this unique ecclesiastical personality, try, on the other hand, in cooperation with the dear brothers Holy High Priests and our other collaborators, to continue, as much as possible, his great work, the pastoral one here, and of each of our Hierarchs in the other Provinces of the Throne, as well as the Orthodox and the inter-Christian, for the unity among the Christians and for the peace in the world and the prosperity among all people.
In a word, the life of the Church continues and will continue with the grace of God, while the persons will succeed one another, as defined by the law of nature.”
Referring to the honored Saint Kyriaki the Great Martyr today, the Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out, among other things, the following:
“Saint Kyriaki belongs to the category of those Saints who were glorified and crowned with the crown of the martyrdom of blood, as others with the crown of the martyrdom of conscience. Full of faith and love for God and for His creature, her fellow man, despite her young age, became an advocate of those great values, for the realization of which every human comes and exists in this world.
And these intangible values are mainly the “belief” of man, which harmonizes with the will of the Lord, and is expressed as love for God and fellow humans.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch at another point in his speech congratulated Metropolitan Maximos of Sylivria “for his unwavering zeal and his emotional devotion to the performance of his duties as Supervisor of this Region”.
He also thanked for the offer the Hierarchical Head Fr. Vassilios Ioannidis, as well as the President of the Community of Kontoskali Anastasios Chondropoulos and his willing collaborators.
Previously, the Metropolitan of Sylivria offered the Ecumenical Patriarch, on behalf of the Community, a crosier, on the completion of 30 years of His Patriarchy.
Afterwards, the Ecumenical Patriarch went to the Holy Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi in Valoukli and performed a memorial service at the Tomb of Patriarch Athenagoras, on today’s anniversary.
Source: orthodoxtimes
