"For the Church of Christ there are no worldly forces. Not even the geographical area, nor the crowds of her followers, nor material wealth, they can be forces for the Church of Christ. Her greatest power is our Lord Jesus Christ. And he is crucified ", underlined the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in his speech, after the Divine Liturgy, in which he officiated, today, for the feast of the Meeting of the Holy Apostles, at the celebrating Holy Temple in Ferikioi. With these words, His Holiness responded to all those who forget this truth and dream, as he said, the Ecumenical Patriarchate "somewhere abroad, as a Vatican of Orthodoxy, with cosmic glamor and power ".
In his speech he pointed out that the life and course of Saint Christ the Great Church, through the centuries, resembles that of the Apostles.
"By the power of her Crucified Lord, the Holy Church of Christ the Great Church survived so many and so many difficult moments of its historical life, gave the good testimony in the world and performed miracles, I was escaping ”risks in general, risks from nations, dangers in pseudo-brothers”. How similar is her life and course through the centuries to the life of the Apostles, as we heard it today in the Apostolic reading, part of which we repeat: ”God proved us the Apostles at last as dying… We are babies for Christ, we are wise in Christ * we are sick, you are strong * you are glorious, we are dishonorable. ‘Until the wee hours and we are hungry and thirsty and naked and we collaborate and we are restless… insulted we bless, persecuted we tolerate, blasphemous please”. This is what the Holy Apostles are telling us today, those who have zero and always possess, this is repeated to you by the Mother Church, children of her and of this City are cherished. And in any case, and di’ all these, we praise the name of the Lord, that reserved to us such a privilege, such an honor!».
Previously, the Patriarch made special reference to the Twelve Apostles, "Whom we honor today in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They not only existed for their time, but it is also di’ all century, the radiant and unspeakable preachers of the Resurrection, thanks to which, our faith is not in vain nor is our preaching empty, fiber according to the theologian Paul we say ».
"The Twelve Apostles were not, Nevertheless, preachers of the Resurrection only, but also other great truths and realities of our faith and life in general. The very calling and election of them as Apostles, while they were nothing but simple, illiterate and poor people, it is a reflection of the truth that God can also raise Abraham's children from the stones * that God's criteria differ from those of men * and that, Consequently, nothing small, nothing cheap should not be despised, for this in the eyes of God can have incalculable value and significance. He did not talk about ”His brothers of the few”, with whom he did not hesitate to identify Himself; ”Εφ’ as you have done to one of my few brethren, you made me”.
God, such as the Apostles, so do we, ”finally proved to be dying”. But do not forget what these last ones managed to accomplish, these dying, these illiterate and few: ”outcasts proclaimed everywhere, of the Lord collaborator”. The whole life and action of the Apostles is a great testimony and proof of this truth, that, that is, the powers of God ”in illness it ends”. His Grace is enough for us. The Apostle of the Nations reminds us, addressed to the Corinthians, that ”we have this treasure in ostracian vessels, for the excess of power is of God”».
His Holiness expressed his gratitude "to His Holiness the Metropolitan of Kallioupolis and Madytos Mr. Stefanos, Supervisor of the Tataoulon Region, for his devotion to the ministry of the Mother Church, as well as for the fact that, within a short time, has already proved in practice his paternal care and affection for the Christian people of his responsibility. Congratulations also to the Hierarchical Head of the Community Ferikios Osiologiotaton and dear p. Samuel for his fruitful work ". also, praised and thanked Archon Exarch Konstantinos Santaltzidis, President of the Ecclesiastical Committee, and Community actors for their supply and work.
The Metropolitan of Kallioupolis and Madytos previously welcomed His Holiness with warm words. The Archon Exarch Konstantinos Santaltzidis, subsequently, referred to the work of the Community in the past year. Before the Dismissal, His Holiness sang a trisagion for the rest of the souls of Patriarch Demetrius, of the Hierarchs who served as Supervisors of the Tataoulon Region and of the clergy who served in the I.N.. of the Holy Apostles Ferikioi.
During the Divine Liturgy, the Metropolitan of Ierapytni and Sitia, Cyril, went to church, the Bishop of Dorylaio Damaskinos, as well as clergy who accompany them, ‘Lords Ofikiali, and many believers from the city.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate