Your Eminence Archbishop Leo of Helsinki and All Finland,
Beloved Brother Hierarchs of the Holy Archdiocese of Finland,
Reverend Fathers,
Honorable State Representatives,
Esteemed Leaders and Members of the Skolt Sámi Community,
Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It gives me great honor and pleasure to join you today, representing His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to convey His paternal blessings and wishes at today’s auspicious occasion, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the resettlement of the Skolt Sámi people.

Having gathered here today with Christ in our midst, and worshipping Him with one mouth and heart, through our participation in communal holy services, we also give thanks and celebrate the resilience, culture, and faith of the Skolt Sámi, who have been united with us in our common Orthodox Christian faith since the 16th century, following the missionary ministry of St. Tryphon of Pechenga, the sweet fruits of whose spiritual toils and labors we continue to savor until today.

The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the resettlement of this unique ethnic group is important because it enriches the local Church, authentically celebrating the presence of native minority groups in the life of the Church and engaging them, while also highlighting the lasting importance of work in spreading the testimony to Christ and “good news” across the world.

In carrying on this ancient command given by the Lord, we also celebrate two characteristics of our holy Church – its apostolic and catholic nature. Our ministry is apostolic because it follows in the example of the Holy Apostles, who went out into the four corners of the ecumene to spread the good word of Christ’s Gospel.

Likewise, it is catholic, because it is directed to all and makes no distinction between majority and minority ethnic groups and languages, but rather, endeavors to spread Christ’s teachings and bear witness to Him in the midst of all the people, so that all may participate in the unity of the faith, just as St. Paul explained: “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” (Galatians 3:28).

Therefore, the presence of the Skolt Sámi people in the Orthodox Christian Church, with whom we have shared the same baptismal font for over 400 years, since their illumination and embrace of the Christian faith in the 17th century, is a remarkable occasion.

This same faith has also blessed them with the courage and endurance to bear the crosses that this ephemeral life has in store for each of us, as we strive and struggle to attain the laurel crown that Christ awaits to bestow upon us.

The ethnic, political, social, and climatic changes that occur on the international, national, and regional level, often impact the smallest and most vulnerable, in a disproportionate manner. The most innocent often bear the burden for the decisions of their leaders and rulers. Often times, this translates into forced relocation, uprooting, sometimes even acts of violence designed to erase the historical presence of a group of people.

As Christians, we are no strangers to this cross. In fact, no sooner did our Lord make His miraculous entrance into human history through His Nativity according to the flesh, than He was forced to flee Bethlehem and seek refuge in Egypt.

Our Mother Church and Venerable Center of Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is also no stranger to this harsh reality. In the 20th century alone, it lost significant portions of its flock during the events leading up to the Asia Minor Catastrophe, over the first quarter of the 20th century.

Similar violent acts targeting its flock also led to the expulsion and mass exodus of much of its remaining flock who trace their historical presence in those lands since antiquity. However, as Christ Himself reveals to the Apostle of the Nations St. Paul, his “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

And while the faithful located in Asia Minor and other nearby areas bore this historic cross, the Mother Church of Constantinople saw its eparchies abroad, throughout Europe, the Americas, and Australia grow and prosper in a true testament to its ecumenical presence and nature.

Likewise, here in the northernmost part of Europe, it is a truly special blessing to commemorate and celebrate the resilience and faith of the Skolt Sámi people, who endured and overcame the historic challenges that they came across and prevailed.

Our gathering here today gives us occasion to glorify the Trinitarian God and praise His holy name, for “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he will” (1 Cor. 12: 7-11).

Having sampled this sweet fruit of the Holy Spirit, I share in the joy of our Orthodox Christian brethren who are natives of the Skolt Sámi people, as we join in prayer, to give thanks to the Lord for blessing their resettlement and enabling them to retain their unique customs, heritage, and traditions, which have become organically grafted into our common liturgical life.

Conveying the heartfelt congratulations and paternal blessings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on this milestone, I pray that through the intercessions of the Holy Evangelists and Apostles, and our Most Glorious Lady the Theotokos, you may receive the just reward from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim the Gospel to the coming generations of the Skolt Sami people for many years to come, enjoying the abundant gifts of God.

In conclusion, knowing that, God willing, the election of the new Archbishop of Helsinki and All Finland will take place this November, I pray that the Lord our God will reveal a worthy successor to His Eminence Archbishop Leo, to whom the Holy Metropolis of Sweden and All Scandinavia and my humility owe eternal gratitude for his wholehearted paternal support toward our Finnish parish in Stockholm named after St. Nicholas of Myra, to which he regularly sends his worthy and devoted clergymen to celebrate holy services.

Your Eminence, we thank You for Your paternal love and we pray that God may grant You many years in physical and spiritual health.

Thank you.