As my term as Vice-President of the CEC expires and I hand over my duties to my worthy successor, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude and thanks, first and foremost, to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew – who was the keynote speaker at this year’s General Assembly – for nominating me and entrusting me to represent the venerable Center of Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, at this esteemed institution.
I would also like to thank my colleagues and fellow Governing Board Members and CEC’s dedicated staff for their excellent cooperation throughout these past five years, and their commitment to the principles and ideals of interdenominational and interfaith dialogue.
Over these past five years, I was blessed to be able to forge new friendships, interact with diverse religious leaders and other significant stakeholders in our common European society, and increase my knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the manifold challenges and issues that church leaders, religious communities, and nations throughout Europe will be called to address in the years to come. This experience will make a lasting contribution to my ministry and allow me to better serve the flock and eparchy entrusted to me in the northern lands by the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople.
The principles of dialogue and solidarity are at the heart of the Christian faith. As followers of Christ, our journey can be characterized as one that is “Stavroanastasimos.” In other words, both Crucifixion and Resurrection – for these two concepts are inseparable and one cannot exist without the other. Just as we are called to take on the role of St. Simon of Cyrene and help carry Jesus’ Cross on the road to Golgotha, we are also called to act as Myrrh-bearers and Apostles, experiencing firsthand the Resurrection of the Lord and spreading this “Good News” to the world around us.
Through dialogue and solidarity, we also take on these roles for each other – standing alongside our brethren during their hour of need, like St. John the Evangelist stood next to Christ on the Cross, or running like St. Peter to the empty tomb, to witness the Lord’s Resurrection, sharing in our brethren’s triumphs and joys.
My prayer and hope is that this spirit will continue to be the discerning characteristic of our common dialogue and spread forth throughout the earth, to more and more people – bearing plentiful fruit for the glory of Christ’s name.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish every heavenly illumination and success to the new governing board of the CEC, and especially to its new President, a beloved brother in Christ, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, who has distinguished himself for decades as an Hierarch of the Ecumenical throne, tireless missionary, leading voice in Christian dialogue, and illustrious academic. Under his leadership, I am certain that the CEC will continue to rise to the occasion and fully address the noble causes and seminal causes that it has been called to serve.
Thank you.