Beloved Brethren and Most Dear Children in the Lord,

From the humble Phanar, which, as the First Throne of the Orthodox Church is charged with bearing the weighty responsibility for shepherding the «oikoumene», we ad- dress this joyful salutation to all mankind on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ.

Here we live the miracle of the Birth of the God-Man in the Cave by sharing in the same experience, because of an intimate affinity between the poor Phanar, a meek and humble Church, and the Manger of the Lord.

Indeed, there is an inward relationship between the hushed words of blessing which go forth from the Phanar to the «oikoumene», through the sacred ministration of Orthodox liturgical theology, and the light which shone forth in the Cave illuminating all creation, when the God-Man was born of the Virgin.

Indeed, we understand this First Throne as both a cross and an apostolate, and the ecumenicity of our Patriar- chate as a ministry to the truth of the Church and the liberty in Christ of all men. Thus does the Ecumenical Pa- triarchate, through its very existence and polity, ever re-echo the words of the Melodist on the Nativity of Christ that: «Hearing this, let the «oikoumene» dance for joy.»

Dance and be glad! Not just a segment of humanity, but the whole oikoumene! Not just a portion of creation, but every creature! «Today all things are filled with joy; Christ is born from the Virgin». Thou hast dawned, 0 Christ, from the Virgin, Thou Noetic Sun of Righteousness».

The sun arises as a gift of blessing upon the just and the unjust; it does not distinguish one from the other. It does not exclude anyone from the benefit of its brilliant rays. It nourishes the good seed and the tares, leaving the sorting and winnowing to take place naturally at the time of harvest.

The Noetic Sun of Righteousness dawns upon the whole of humanity with a love divine and a blessing impercep- tible in its serenity and compassion. It is the mystery of a cry that takes place in the silence of God.

It is not about a simple manifestation of God's power, but the revelation of His ineffable love for mankind. He did not come, as He once did upon Mount Sinai, mighty in power and dazzling with thunder and lightning, but God the Word made manifest as an Infant Babe lying in a Manger.

Whoever truly loves, honors and respects his beloved; indeed would cringe to see that same loved one power- less and in humble circumstances, because the beloved is to be honored. But the Lord Who is «rich in divinity» made himself poor for our salvation.

This mystery of divine condescension and «kenosis», the self-emptying of God the Word is «a Wonder aston- ishing every conception». For this cause, at the first it was not men, but angels who were granted to sing the «glory in the highest», as well as the irrational beasts in the Cave who cooed and caressed with loving breath God the Word made flesh, He Who was to set free the race of man from his own irrationality.

«The truth has come, the shadows have passed away; indeed God has appeared from the Virgin among men in a form like unto our own, and deifying the human nature He took upon Himself.»

He deified that Which He assumed and bestowed free- dom upon mankind, granting him the potential to realize the meaning of his existence.

He freed woman; she is no longer subservient to man. He freed man; he is no longer subservient to creation.

The Incarnate Lord desires to see man free, to see him press forward, to see him attain his full stature; to find his life by a voluntary offering of himself and a willingness to lose his life. As the Lord showed us through His own love for us; He emptied Himself, He was humbled, He was hid- den; and having become invisible He was made manifest after the Resurrection.

What had been desired and expected from the ages is now realized; opposites are united; fragments are brought together; breaches are bridged. Human nature is joined with the Holy Spirit! The Virgin Mother is honored! The God-Man is born! Indeed what is born is the potential for man to truly live, to be free and by grace attain unto God- manhood, unto a nuptial relationship by incorruptible vir- ginity, which itself gives birth to joy for all people, eter- nally and without change in a most exalted place.

And this lofty place, where such dread and awesome mys- teries are consummated, is defined by the Manger. It is humility, love, oblation; sacrifice for another, following the example of the Lord.

For we are no longer alone, regardless of whether we are aware of it or not, «our Savior has visited us from on high».

And we are no longer divided: «There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for we are all one in Christ Jesus».

Our heartfelt prayer is that we may all enjoy this true freedom and unity, which are the gifts of the Incarnate Word of God, as we bless the Most Holy Virgin Theo- tokos, who gave birth to Christ, the Life-giver and Savior of our souls.

For His is the dominion and unto Him be the glory and the honor and the worship unto ages of ages. Amen.

Christmas, 1996

† BARTHOLOMEW OF CONSTANTINOPLE

For all of you,
your fervent intercessor unto God.

NEW YORK — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will make his first pastoral visit to the United States since his in- stallation as the 270th Ecumenical Patriarch in Constan- tinople (Istanbul) Turkey five years ago. Archbishop Spy- ridon, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Western Hemisphere, has announced that His All Holiness will be in the United States from October 20th to November 9, 1997. The Patriarch's tour will include Washington, DC, New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities.

By Presbytera Nikki Stephanopoulos

His All Holiness Bartholomew is the Ecumenical Patri- arch and spiritual leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians. He is considered as first among equals of the Orthodox Churches in the world. These include the four ancient Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Anti- och and Jerusalem, and the Greek, Albanian, Byelorussian, Bulgarian, Carpatho-Russian, Cypriot, Czechoslovakian, Fin- nish, Georgian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Sinai, Serbian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, making up the second largest Christian body in the world.

"Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew," said Archbishop Spyridon, "will bring the message of Orthodoxy — which is one of Christian mission, Church unity and peace — to the citizens of the United States."

In the five years since becoming Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew has helped the Church to expand on many fronts. Through dialogue and visitations he has greatly advanced Orthodox relations with the Ro- man Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists and others. His All Ho- liness has taken a highly active role in post-communist Eastern Europe by strengthening contacts and relations with the various Orthodox national churches and through direct visits to several Orthodox nations including Russia. He has taken the lead among all religious leaders in his concern for the environment. His All Holiness has initi- ated seminars and dialogues to discuss the need for the mobilization of moral and spiritual forces to achieve har- mony between humanity and nature.

The Patriarch has traveled extensively and just com- pleted a historic month-long visit to Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand where he was welcomed by huge throngs of Orthodox faithful.

The Ecumenical Patriarch holds the position of spiri- tual primacy within the Orthodox Church, unlike the Pope who has a position of jurisdictional primacy in the Roman Catholic Church. The Orthodox Church is comprised of self- governing Churches each administratively independent of the other but united by common faith. Their underlying u- nity is based on the identity of doctrine, sacramental life, worship, church order and spirituality, which distinguish- es Orthodox Christianity.

NEW YORK — The Sacred and Holy Synod of the Ecume- nical Patriarchate has reached into the ranks of the A- merican-born and educated clergy and unanimously elect- ed Bishop Athenagoras of Dorylaion as Metropolitan of Panama and Exarch of Central America and the Very Rev. Archimandrite Nikitas Lulias as Metropolitan of Hong Kong. The election occurred Dec. 2 and the enthronements will take place in January.

Metropolitan Athenagoras, a native of Chicago, last year helped establish the Metropolitanate of Hong Kong.

"My task was to encourage the Orthodox faithful who, against serious odds, had kept the light of faith shining," Athenagoras said of his mission.

"I was further directed to determine the feasibility of es- tablishing an Archdiocese to be seated in Hong Kong and include all of southeast Asia. Once determined, I was to pursue any and all efforts necessary to obtain this goal."

Born George Aneste in 1941, he studied at Holy Cross School of Theology, the Patriarchal School of Halki and the University of Athens, where he received his theological de- gree. He was ordained a priest in 1967 and consecrated as a bishop in 1982.

He served in parishes in Michigan, Illinois and New York and was chancellor of the Chicago Diocese.

He was instrumental in establishing Orthodox Student Fellowships and served as the first national coordinator of the Greek Orthodox Young Adult League in 1975.

Metropolitan Nikitas, whose consecration took place on

Dec. 14 at the Phanar, is a Tampa, Fla., native who was raised in Tarpon Springs.

After earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, he went on to Holy Cross School of Theology and graduated in May 1980 with a Master of Divinity de- gree.

He worked briefly as a legislative assistant for "Con- gressman Michael Bilirakis in Washington from 1983-85 and later became ordained. He served the parish in Mer- rillville, Ind., as an assistant, was chancellor of the Chi- cago Diocese and most recently was pastor of St. Deme- trios Church in Chicago.

He also served as director of development for the In- ternational Orthodox Christian Charities.

The new metropolitan also spent one year in the Rus- sian language program at St. Petersburg Theological A- cademy in Russia.

In Hong Kong, Lulias will pick up where Metropolitan-elect Athenagoras left off. He goes at a crucial period in the soon-to-be former British colony's history. China of- ficially takes over next July, although it has been in the process of assuming control for many months.

Asked about his feelings on going to Hong Kong, Lu- lias said "I'm looking forward to it."

St. Luke's Orthodox Church in Hong Kong is com- prised of faithful from the United States, Australia, Greece, Serbia and Russia, as well as some native Chinese Or- thodox Christians.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hundreds of faithful from sev- en Washington-area parishes welcomed Archbishop Spy- ridon on his Nov. 16-17 pastoral visit.

In addition to the parish of St George in Bethesda, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of its pastor Fr. George Papaioannou, the communities that took part in- cluded St. Sophia Cathedral, Sts. Constantine and Helen, both in Washington; St. Katherine, Falls Church, Va.; and the Maryland communities of Sts. Constantine and Helen, Annapolis, St. Theodore, Lantham and Sts. Peter and Paul, Frederick.

His Eminence arrived at the Marriott hotel in Wash- ington on Nov. 16 and was greeted by the clergy, parish council presidents, Philoptochos chapter presidents and National Board members, and others.

Later in the afternoon, the Archbishop was the hon-ored guest at a leadership tea attended by about 100 persons, including parish council and Philoptochos pres-idents, Sunday School and Greek school directors and youth representatives from all parishes.

His Eminence urged the guests to remain united and work with him for the glory of God and the good of Or- thodoxy.

Historic Sts. Constantine and Helen Church was the set-ting for the Great Vespers on Saturday evening with the Archbishop presiding, assisted by 15 area priests.

The Archbishop spoke of the unique contributions of Sts. Constantine and Helen in helping set the foundation of the Christian Faith and freedom in the formulation of Christian doctrine.

The church was filled to capacity. A reception followed, hosted by the church's Philoptochos Society, and at- tended by His Eminence who spoke to and blessed the people.

Ambassador of Greece and Mrs. Loucas Tsilas later that evening hosted a dinner at the embassy for about 30 Greek American leaders in honor of the Archbishop. The Ambassador welcomed Archbishop Spyridon and of- fered both his personal support and that of his govern- ment in his ministry.

Responding to the Ambassador's remarks, His Emi- nence promised to work tirelessly for the restoration of human, religious, and cultural rights in Cyprus, Albania, and Constantinople.

On Sunday, Nov. 17, people from all parts of Maryland, Virginia, and the District filled St. George Church for the Archbishop's pastoral visit and to celebrate the 25th an- niversary of their pastor, Fr. George Papaioannou.

Hundreds of Sunday School and Greek school children holding icons and Bibles lined up in the courtyard to welcome the Archbishop with joyful shouts of the Axios! Worthy!

Inside the church, the service had just reached the point at which he Archbishop was to enter and direct his steps to his throne with an anxious congregation waiting for his entry. But he took time to talk to the children, bless their icons, autograph their Bibles, and was pho- tographed with them.

It was this sight that made Bill Broadway write in The Washington Post, 'When Greek Orthodox Archbishop Spy- ridon came to Bethesda, the day belonged to the chil- dren."

During the Liturgy, the Archbishop was assisted by 10 priests and two deacons.

His sermon was on the unselfish love demanded by Christ.

Delegations from the schools later presented His Eminence with two checks, one for St. Basil's Academy and the other for the Pa- triarchate. He urged the con- gregation "to see the world as children see it."

On Sunday evening 600 people gathered in the Pres- bytera Maria Grand Hall to pay tribute to Fr. George Pa- paioannou on his 25th an- niversary as pastor. Over the years, the membership of St. George has grown from 70 families to 750 families.

During the dinner a congratulatory message from Pa- triarch Bartholomew was read, in which he praised both the honoree and the parish.

The patriarch said, in part, 'We proceed joyfully with this patriarchal letter, written by our hand, to con- gratulate the honoree, for you truly deserve the honor, and commend those who are responsible for the cele- bration, for they perform a godly work in bestowing the honor and expressing gratitude to their spiritual guide..."

Fr. Papaioannou requested that proceeds from the din- ner, which totaled $15,000, go to the restoration of the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Constantinople, which had been damaged by Turkish terrorists.

Archbishop Spyridon held several meetings and cele- brated a number of important feast days during the month, beginning with Vespers at St. Barbara's Church in Manhattan on Dec. 2.

His Eminence met with the other hierarchs of the Stand- ing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA) on Dec. 4 for an all-day meeting at Archdiocese headquarters.

He celebrated the Vespers of St. Nicholas on Dec. 5 at the St. Nicholas Shrine Church in West Babylon, N.Y., and Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas in Manhattan.

Vespers and Divine Liturgy for his patron saint took place at St. Spyridon Church in Manhattan on Dec. 11-12.

Also on the 12th, His Eminence officiated at the Christ- mas tree lighting ceremony at the Archdiocese in the af- ternoon and attended a dinner for Athens College in the evening.

Archbishop Spyridon traveled to Chicago for pastoral visits on Dec. 13-15, and while there held meetings with Diocese Young Adult League members, Philoptochos and clergy. He officiated at Divine Liturgy at St. Spyridon's Church.

The Archbishop attended the Christmas program at St. Basil's Academy on Dec. 18, and a luncheon of the Fed- eration of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York on the 19th.

He met with the Executive Committee of the Arch- diocesan Council, on December 20th.

He officiated at the Liturgy for staff members and fam- ilies at the Archdiocese on Dec. 24, and at Christmas Lit- urgy at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

On New Year's Eve, His Eminence officiated at the an- nual Vasilopita cutting for area clergy and their families.

At several vespers and liturgies where Archbishop Spy- ridon spoke, his message was that of humility. On the Feast of St. Nicholas, Archbishop Spyridon noted that "St. Nicholas became great because he was humble. Humility in itself is greatness.

He further stated that through humility "a person is set free from the dubious powers of his ego. To be humble means one does not need to boast about himself, his works and his good deeds, and doesn't need the applause of others. Humility is the best and quickest way to the world of love preached by Christ in his gospel."

NEW YORK — Archbishop Spyridon, in his capacity as president of the Holy Eparchical Synod, recently named a Synodical committee to oversee the operation of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Theological School in Brookline, Mass.

The committee consists of Bishop Maximos of Pitts- burgh, a Synod member, and Bishop Philotheos of Meloa, Synod secretary.

The two-member panel has the responsibility of visit- ing the school on a monthly basis to evaluate its admin- istrative, academic and financial progress.

In a separate decision His Eminence also named Bish- op Philotheos of Meloa as the Archdiocese director of per- sonnel.

His Grace has served as assistant to the Archbishop since his consecration as a bishop in 1971, and as vicar of the Archdiocese District and chief secretary of the Holy Synod.

A native of Constantinople, he completed his theolo- gical studies at the University of Athens in 1959. He served as a deacon at the Cathedral in Athens, and also officiated at worship services in the chapel of the Royal Palace before coming to the United States in 1960 to serve as Archbishop Iakovos' deacon.

Bishop Philotheos was ordained a priest in 1961 and served as a pastor at several parishes before he was ele- vated to the rank of bishop.

In another personnel change, the Archbishop appoint- ed the Very Rev. Evangelos Kourounis as director of the Archdiocese Registry Office in early December. The de- partment keeps the vital statistics of the Greek Orthodox faithful, including affidavits and certificates of marriage, baptisms, divorce and deaths.

Fr. Kourounis, who has served as New Jersey Diocese chancellor since 1993, continues in that position.

He also was named as ecclessiarch of St. Paul chapel at the Archdiocese.

Archimandrite Kourounis was born in New York in 1961, the child of immigrants from Kalymnos. He studied at the parochial schools of St. Eleftherios and St. Spyridon in New York and completed his theological studies at Hel- lenic College/Holy Cross Theology School in Brookline.

After graduation, he taught at a Catholic high school in New York and also served as dean of students and fac- ulty.

He did post-graduate work at the Ecumenical Institute near Geneva, Switzerland and he also served as deacon at the Ecumenical Patriarchate Center in Chambesy.

After returning to New York, he served as deacon to Archbishop Iakovos, and as assistant archivist.

He was ordained a presbyter on July 30, 1989, and assigned to St. Demetrios Church in Astoria where he remained for four years.

NEW YORK. — The Holy Synod of the Archdiocese of America met in a regular meeting on Nov. 19 presided o- ver for the first time by Archbishop Spyridon.

Its agenda included the following: the enhancement and promotion of the Synod's work, formulation of syn- odical committees, the visit of the charter committee to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the revision of the Arch- diocese charter, the restructuring of the Archdiocesan Council, inter-diocese cooperation to support the Arch- diocese institutions, coordination with the dioceses to publicize their activities through the Orthodox Observer, the Internet programs of the Archdiocese and matters re- lating to SCOBA.

Each subject was discussed in depth and in detail. The Synod meeting was characterized as "constructive' and taking place in a spirit of brotherhood.

In the above Orthodox Observer photo (from left): Bishop Isaiah of Denver, Bishop Maximos of Pittsburgh, Bishop Philotheos of Meloa (secretary), Bishop Anthony of San Francisco and Bishop Methodios of Boston. Bishop Iakovos of Chicago could not attend due to the death of Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew considers two ways for the solution of the problem with Uniatism, which tor- ments the relations between the Orthodox and the Cath- olic Church: repentance and truth.

These are some of the points which the Patriarch stressed in his speech at the Patriarchal church in the Phanar during the patronal feast of the Church of Con- stantinople:

"Could it be that the final solution in repentance and truth of the wrongfully eternalized problem of Uniatism will provide the most persuasive act of unity, the highest value of the year 2000?" He went on giving an affirma- tive answer.

The Patriarch's speech was delivered during his ad- dress to the head of the delegation of the Catholic Church and personal emissary of Pope John-Paul II, who attended, as every year the celebration of the memory of the Apostle Andrew, founder of the First-Throne Church.

For almost three centuries, representations of both Churches meet during their patronal feasts of St. Andrew and the Apostles Peter and Paul respectively.

During those occasions they exchange greetings and pro- ceed with an evaluation of the process of the theological dialogue between the two Churches, which was initiated in 1980 in Patmos.

In this year's meeting of the representation of the Vat- ican with that of the Patriarchate, very constructive dis- cussions took place under the joint presidency of Cardinal Edward Cassidy and Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Ephe- sus.

The memory of the Apostle Andrew was celebrated with priestly and traditional magnanimity during the Divine Liturgy at the patriarchal church of St. George Patriarch Bartholomew officiated and the hierarchs of the Ecume- nical Throne and the Patriarchate of Bulgaria concele- brated.

The panegyric speech of the day was delivered by Me- tropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia. The celebration was at- tended by George Papandreou, Deputy Minister of Exter- nal Affairs, the Greek ambassador in Ankara, the General Consul in Istanbul, Panayiotis Angelopoulos, Great Bene- factor and Great Logothete of the Ecumenical Patriar- chate, Stavros Psycharis, governor of the Holy Mountain, foreign diplomats, representatives of other Christian dog- mas, pilgrims from Greece and abroad and Greeks of Istanbul.

The celebration was also attended by Stavros Papado- poulos, a businessman who is one of the benefactors of the new Diocese of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia (which was recently founded by the Ecumenical Patriarchate). Mr. Papadopoulos offered $500,000 for the construction of the cathedral of St. Luke and the see of the Diocese.

The Patriarch's address

During his address to the papal delegate, the Patri- arch referred to the fact that face-to-face meetings of both sides provide an opportunity for the necessary com- mon assessment of the present situation within the Church. He then stressed the responsibility of the Church facing the third millennium. Among other things the Patriarch said:

"Great expectations of many people, particularly faith- ful men and women, are anticipated. Just, above all else, is the pretense that the conclusion of the second mil- lennium should be culminated in a certain action by the Christian Churches, an action which will instill assured hope in the souls of the people who refuse to accept the division which together we are bringing into the third millennium with deriding boastfulness.

On this matter it is clear that the recollection of the lifting of the anathemas by our Churches 31 years ago nurtures in many people this just expectation. At that time it was demonstrated to the faithful that the grace of God and the necessary daring acquired through His grace made possible that which for centuries was understood as impossible. The strong desire for unity on the part of many pious people further nurtures this expectation, in spite of objections to the contrary. These people rightly sense that humanity standing before ongoing problems and frightening unprecedented provocation urgently needs to speak of life and hope, but also of the prophetic fore- warning regarding what the Lord Omnipotent says and commands. It is clear that this expectation of humankind is directed with particular intensity to the Churches of the Elder and the New Rome. From them visible signs of uni- ty, solidarity and efficacious cooperation are awaited."

In his response the head of the delegation of the Vat- ican, Cardinal Cassidy (president of the Council of the Cath- olic Church for promotion of Christian unity), underlined that the exchange of delegations during the patronal feasts aim at further contributing to the process of re- storing full communion between the two Churches and stressed that the theological dialogue between the Or- thodox and the Catholics has, until our days, generally been fruitful. The experience which has been acquired provides the indications which shall have to be taken into account, if we wish the future of the dialogue to be equally fruitful.

The Pope's letter

At the end of his speech, the cardinal gave to Patri- arch Bartholomew a letter by John Paul II. In this letter, the Primate of the Catholic Church refers to the useful- ness of the exchange of delegations during the patronal feasts and assesses the process of the dialogue until to- day. Among other things, he writes:

"This dialogue, a slow and arduous process, which, de- spite all that has been a source of great joy", has given fruits. Those fruits may seem unexpected, because the road ahead of us happens to be long. We will have to get used to responding always from deep inside us to the urge of the Apostle: "carry each other's weights." Espe- cially today, on the way to the third millennium, we aspire that the Christian communities, in the faith and the ardent wish for the salvation of humanity, are at the disposal of the call of the Spirit, which orients all Chris- tians towards full and visible communion. Due to this very nature of the already existing communion among us, we ought to pray fervently and persistently continue our quest."

CONSTANTINOPLE (ANA) — Patriarch Bartholomew returned to Istanbul on Nov. 28 after his extended visit to Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, where he es- tablished the Orthodox Metropolis of Southeast Asia, the Athens News Agency reported.

Reflecting on his travels, he praised what he called the "significant achievements in all sectors of the clearly ec- clesiastical, educational, social and other activities of the Arcbhbishopry," and noted the contribution of Archbishop Stylianos in the Orthodox Church's achievements in Aus- tralia.

In Canberra, Australian Prime Minister John Howard held an official dinner in the Patriarch's honor. Bartho- lomew also met with all prime ministers of the states he visited.

At a special ceremony in Sydney for the feast day of Archbishop Stylianos, the Patriarch commented that he had encountered "an impressive center for Orthodoxy and an expatriate community which pleasantly surprised us ... I am leaving with the best of impressions."

Plans Austrian Visit

Patriarch Bartholomew plans to visit Austria in June, according to an announcement by Metropolitan Michael of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe.

He originally was scheduled to travel there last Octo- ber, but the date was reset due to the ill health of Aus- trian President Thomas Klestil.

While in Austria, the Patriarch is to meet with Klestil and Chancellor Franz Vranitzky. He is expected to be declared honorary professor of Vienna University's law school.

His All Holiness also is scheduled to travel to the city of Graz, where he will participate in the Second European Ecumenical Conference being organized by the World Council of Churches.

For the past five years, Blockbuster Video and Tower Re- cords, major purveyors of visual and audio information, have been among the fastest growing retail chains.

Cineplexes or Multiplexes offering a dozen or more mo- vies at a time have spread throughout the country as more films than ever open on a weekly basis.

Americans buy CD-ROMs faster than anyone else and spend more time on the Internet.

By Fr. Angelo Artemas

While most people complain that they don’t have e- nough spare time, everyone seems to be going to the movies, renting videos, listening to music and surfing the Net.

As much as proponents of the information age tout the educational benefits of computers, videos and CDs, A- merica’s academic skills continue to decline.

More than 40 percent of college students take five years or longer to finish bachelors degrees.

Junior high and high school math scores are dropping, as are high school reading skills. SAT scores have been on a steady decline for at least a decade.

The average American household today, undoubtedly, owns more CDs and videos than books.

Furniture stores sell more video and CD shelves than book shelves.

CD and video clubs far outsell book clubs as books have fallen by the wayside in this Age of Information.

What America needs in 1997 is less information from computers, videos and CDs and more book learning.

If universities and colleges desire better students, per- haps they should discontinue entrance and aptitude tests, and simply go into an applicant’s bedroom. If they find more CDs than books, they should deny the applicant. If they find more books than CDs, they should accept the applicant on the spot.

The same should be done with employment applica- tions.

When people listen to music, watch movies and vi- deos, and surf the Net, they may be learning; but they learn what the media wants to teach them. When people pick up a book to read, they learn what they want to learn.

Academic skills and aptitude would be better served if people read as many books as they rented videos, and spent more time reading instead of listening to music.

Of course, the best-selling book of all time (the Bible) could use a good dusting off. Although available on CD and CD-ROM, active reading of the actual Bible is most beneficial. One of the biggest excuses people have for not reading the Bible is that they don’t understand it. How can someone understand what they don’t read? Read it repeatedly for better understanding! Even if eve- ry verse cannot be comprehended, reading the Bible still nourishes the mind and the soul.

People don’t refuse to eat certain foods because they don’t understand how they nourish them - they just eat.

Every new year Americans make all sorts of resolu- tions. Some are kept, but most are broken.

Try keeping this resolution: spend less time at Block- buster and Tower Music, and more time at your favorite book store (preferably in the classics, history, philosophy and religion sections).

Also, don’t forget to dust off the Bible.

Understanding women

Editor,

I was extremely disappointed with the stereotypes in the December 1996 article "Conflict Resolution an Essen- tial Component of Marriage."

The alleged "general differences" between men and wo- men are not only, for the most part, untrue, but conde- scending toward women. The contention that "Men tend to be rational. Women tend to be emotional," is simply unbelievable. It makes a mockery of women who have held positions of great responsibility and decision-making both in and out of the home.

Women are now highly educated and hold important po- sitions in business and government. As for women who choose careers in the home, the work they do is fre- quently underrated by men who have no clue as to the countless responsibilities thanklessly accomplished every day. These responsibilities require great rationality on the part of women. As men who have taken over the job of home and child-rearing for even a day have found out, it is an incredibly difficult job.

As for the contention that men desire peace when they come home from their day at work and women want to talk, again this writer shows no understanding of women whatsoever.

It is fully understandable that a man who worked hard all day would want a few minutes of quiet. Surprise! Wo- men love that too. The difference is that a woman who worked hard all day doesn't have time for quiet. She sim- ply commences all of her home jobs of house and family. The woman who is home all day taking care of her fam- ily, continues that job until the day is done.

Most women I know would love nothing more than 30 minutes of quiet time to themselves. When our husbands and children need us, though, this time never seems to occur. Most often, the miracle of a few minutes alone, for women, has to wait until another day.

As to the claim that women want to change men, a- gain the writer shows little understanding of human na- ture. Most people I know don't like to be changed —wheth-er they are men or women.

The remaining stereotypes were equally insulting and condescending to women, but less relevant. Unfortunate- ly, the stereotypes perpetuated in this article take away greatly from the positive points raised about marital com- munication.

Married couples should govern their marriages with love, a willingness to sacrifice for each other, mutual re- gard and respect. Respect (and not condescension) for each other's feelings, habits, and even personal quirks, and appreciation for the different strengths that men and women bring to the marriage is what is necessary to re- solve the natural conflicts that do arise in a marriage. Stereotyping is certain to increase conflict, not resolve it.

Annie Randall 
Northville, Mich.

 

Regional bias?

Editor,

I have often heard that the Orthodox Observer gives preferential treatment to happenings among the Ortho- dox faithful in the Eastern United States, but have often rationalized it away with the explanation that there are so many more Orthodox in the East than out here on the West Coast that you were only reporting in direct propor- tion to the demographic distribution. I must take issue, however, with your lack of coverage of the loss of our be- loved Presbytera Linda (Demetra) Davis here in the Dio- cese of San Francisco.

Yes, I realize that in your November issue there was a brief article mentioning the trust fund set up by Arch- bishop Spyridon for the Davis family, but it told the read- er nothing about the precious, exuberant, loving indivi- dual that Presbytera was.

I thank God that we have an Archbishop who makes no distinction between believers on either side of the Missis- sippi.

The Davis family was so touched by His Eminence's calls and messages of love, concern and encouragement made even while he was still in Italy preparing for his enthrone- ment.

It is dismaying that the Orthodox Observer did not fol- low his lead in seeking out the details, circumstances and consequences of the accident.

Since it is quite obvious that no one on your staff is go- ing to come seeking this information, I will do my best to correct this oversight by supplying it for you:

Presbytera Demetra Davis was born Linda Lovenduski in Dallas on June 11,1953. She spent most of her grow- ing-up years in Southern California, but returned to Dal- las after she graduated from college. On a trip to Greece in 1980, she had two encounters in Thessalonika which would shape the direction of the rest of her life: an en- counter with Orthodox Christianity and an encounter with a young seminarian by the name of Matthew Davis.

Upon her return to the States, Linda undertook stud- ies in the Faith and was chrismated into the Church.

In honor of the impact her encounters in Thessalo- nika had on her, she took St. Demetrios, patron saint of Thessalonika, as her own patron saint.

In the spring of 1984, Matthew and Demetra were mar- ried, and shortly thereafter, he was ordained and assigned to Ascension parish in Oakland, Calif.

Presbytera Demetra loved children dearly, and as a tes- timony to that fact, she selected a career in teaching. Un- able to have children of her own, she and Fr. Matthew opt- ed to build their family through adoption. By the grace of God, they were blessed with two beautiful adoptees, Christina from Guatemala and Philip from Peru.

On Sept. 2, 1996, while traveling to visit Fr. Matthew's family, the Davis family was involved in a car accident which took the life of Presbytera Demetra. Christina and Philip sustained minor injuries. Fr. Matthew was quite se- riously injured. He lay unconscious for a week, finally wak- ing on the day of Presbytera's Trisagion.

At this writing, Fr. Matthew continues to make a rapid and, according to his doctors, remarkable recovery. He be- gan talking as soon as his tracheotomy device was plugged in and has since regained full command of his voice. He is now out of the wheelchair and is walking unassisted.

Presbytera Donna Pappas
Fresno, Calif.

Dear Father George,

This morning I feel excited and upset. I want- ed to express my anger, and find some emo- tional relief but I didn't know how to do it. I thought of you and decided to write this letter. My emo- tional turmoil was caused by what I read in the Ann Landers column in The Washington Post. She calls our precious Orthodox Faith a sect that was separated "from Roman Catholicism around the year 1000." Did you read it? What do you have to say about it?

A.C. 
Silver Spring, Md.

For no other subject have I received so many calls and letters as for this subject, namely Ann Land- ers' column that circulated nationally and inter- nationally on Monday, November 11, 1996, deal- ing with the origin of religion.

Since my own column deals with questions and an- swers I must confess I read Ann Landers almost regular- ly. As in my own situation some of the answers she gives are on target and therefore beneficial.

By Fr. George Papaioannou

This time, at least the part that dealt with the origin of Christianity in general and Orthodoxy in particular was off target and to Orthodox people rather offensive. I am sure that Ann Landers must have been bombarded with letters of protest coming from all parts of the country.

One of these responses came from me. My response was not to protest but rather to correct the error.

My response can be summarized as follows:

"Ms. Landers, it is obvious from your column on the or- igin of religions you have entered into uncharted waters and thus have given false and unfair information to your readers.

The first error of your statement is that Jesus is the Founder of Roman Catholicism. The truth is that Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity.

The second error is that you describe Eastern Ortho- doxy as a splinter group that broke away from Roman Catholicism. The truth of the matter is that Eastern Or- thodoxy is the faith of about 250,000,000 people who adhere to the beliefs that their spiritual ancestors were taught by Jesus Christ and the Apostles. These beliefs were formulated into doctrine by the Eastern and Western Fa- thers of the Undivided Church in the first Seven Ecume- nical Councils.

Third the primary reason for the split of the Christian Church into two parts in the year 1054 was the insistence of the Western Church (now the Roman Catholic Church) on altering some of those beliefs. Eastern Christendom con- sidered those claims and changes to be both biblically and historically incorrect and thus rejected them. Thus the tragic split known as the Great Schism, became un- avoidable.

Your description, therefore, of Eastern Orthodox Chris- tianity as a sect is not only theologically and historically incorrect but also offensive."

Since I wrote and mailed my response to Ann Landers and reflected on the letters and other conversations on the matter I have come to some conclusions.

I am impressed by the sensitivity shown by our faith- ful concerning the unfair label given to our faith. I am not concerned by how Ann Landers, who I believe did this out of ignorance, or how other people describe us, but rather I worry about how we are in reality, how we think, how we feel and how we act.

Ann Landers is not the only one who has labeled us a sect. This past July a well-known and respected Greek the- ologian and sociologist in a major article about the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America attributed to it the same characteristics of a sect, in fact he called us a sect.

What he saw in us and made him call a sect is that we don't live the purity of the Faith. There is a tendency here in America to do our own thing and drift away from our sacred traditions.

We Orthodox in general and Greek Orthodox in par- ticular, suffer from this virus of parochialism. We speak of Orthodoxy as being a universal Body but in practice we look ourselves in the narrow confines of the parish.

Without realizing it, we have become splinter groups that have the signs of a sect. That is not Orthodox Eccle- siology but rather sectarian mentality, it is dangerous and has no place in the Holy Orthodox Church. This is what should concern us more as we prepare to enter the third millennium, not the labeling by Ann Landers.

WASHINGTON — Archons of Metropolitan Washington held their semi-annual luncheon in Bethesda, Md., chaired by Regional Commander Harry Magafan.

At the luncheon, Professor D.G. Kousoulas, state Com- mander for Metropolitan Washington, reported on his visit to the Patriarch Bartholomew this past summer and on the enthronement of Archbishop Spyridon in New

York.

In addition, Kousoulas discussed the continuing dif- ficulties the Ecumenical Patriarchate faces because of Turkish pressures. The Patriarch, he told his audience, fa- vors improved relations between Greece and Turkey be- cause whenever relations between the two countries worsen the Patriarchate feels the consequences.

(third of three parts)

(Editor's note: The final nine paragraphs of part two were inadvertantly omitted from last month's issue and are continued here).

The Church, however, expects not only an inner crisis leading to contrition and determination to change and improve, but also a verbal expression and acknowledg- ment of the inner crisis, and a confession, an explosion of what is eating up our inner self.

By Fr. Demetrios J. Constantelos

The authority of the Church to accept repentance and forgive sins, to renew one's koinonia and incorporation into the community of believers, rests on the well-known words of Christ who charged His disciples with these words: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the 'sins of any, they are retained" (John 20: 21-23; Matt: 18:18).

Confession, as a cleansing of the inner being, serves as the renewal of baptism. It is indeed both a religious and a psychological need. It unloads a heavy conscience and purifies mind and soul. "If we confess our sins, He (Christ) is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" the apostle writes (1 John 1:9).

But metanoia, as Orthodoxy understands the term, pre- supposes an act of "autognosia", the realization that there is something wrong with us.

Thus the second step to spirituality is a realization that we need help, a realization that leads to a constant quest to know God's will which will strengthen the desire for an inner renewal and spiritual growth.

The whole liturgical year provides the means for growth but it is the spirit of the Lenten seasons which incorporate the essence of spirituality.

A Lenten hymn calls upon the Logos of God, Christ, to enlighten our minds with the light of virtues, granting us repentance and conversion.

Metaphorically speaking, the hymn calls upon us to find out what Christ is and what He wants. Seeking to know God's will through Bible reading, praying, and re- flecting, help us make the first decisive step toward a spir- itual life.

A humble longing for God, the source of our being, a desire for things invisible, provides a sense of fullness.

To start, however, searching for the Being in whom we have our being one needs to know and to question, to understand Him who revealed God and in "whom the fullness of God dwelt." (Colossians 1:19,2:9)

To seek and find out who Christ was as the fullness of God, to seek and find out who Christ was and what Christ demands is a spiritual odyssey which presupposes humil- ity and a changed attitude and a new start.

To speak of humility in our present society, obsessed with wealth and power, the spirit of competition and con- sumerism, seems perhaps unrealistic. But humility is a virtue of paramount significance. The human being is not the measure of all things — the human being is a limited being, an insect among many living beings.

Egotism and lack of humility is a hubris as the ancient Greeks would say. Our century has put all its trust on man, and man has become very arrogant and dangerous, self-destructive.

Humility leads to the fourth step of spiritual growth and divine ascent; it leads to the realization that the human is a limited being, in need to rest silently in the arms of God, the Absolute ground of existence.

The parable of the prodigal son is the best illustration of this humility and this surrender. The young man, who squandered his father's property and spent his life in the company of harlots and pigs, "came to himself", he repented, he changed mind and heart, he went through an inner spiritual crisis which helped him to rise up and surrender in the arms of his father.

Man becomes truly human when he discovers his di- vine nature and his spiritual dimensions and like the prodigal son, man makes a regenerating confession. The prodigal son said: "This is what I will do; I will go back to my father and I will ask for forgiveness, and I will ask him to receive me even as a servant." He reconsidered, he confessed that he was not all sufficient, all powerful and independent and returned back home.

One needs to lose his dependence on his ego and ma- terial things in order to achieve his spiritual independence.

Another basic step toward our spiritual pilgrimage is to possess the vision that life does not end at the grave.

Belief in life after death, in judgment or in a life in the glory of God, reminds us that love of God starts with love, forgiveness of, and reconciliation with fellow human be- ings, the sick and the poor, the old and the lonely, those in prisons and in mental hospitals, the street people, and hungry everywhere.

The sense of compassion for others creates a feeling of oneness with others and with God, whose presence may be discerned in the distressing condition of the poor.

Spiritually is the result of God's stirring in us, an indi- vidual experience which however requires our response to and cooperation with God's spirit.

Spiritual life presupposes thoughtfulness, reflection, con- templation, reading, worship and prayer, discipline and self-control.

While not all of us have the luxury of all the opportu- nities for the practice of the above, all of us can devote time for prayer.

While there are formal prayers and religious services for prayer, prayer is not codified, it is not formalistic and stereotyped. It can be accompanied with words but it can also be wordless and mental, organized but also spon- taneous, for specific time and space but also for all times and all places.

Prayer has wings, which can take you to the invisible, the transcendent and the incomprehensible. You can pray with words of mouth but also with silent heartbeats. You can pray in church but also in the kitchen, the bedroom of your house, or in your car on your way to your task. You can pray with a loud voice but also with sighs and tears. The very desire to pray is prayer.

When St. Paul advised "pray ceaselessly" he meant that prayer transcends time and place.

The spiritually cultivated person has the courage to converse with God and say "Deal with me as you will from now on. I am as one with You; I am Yours; I flinch from nothing so long as You do think that it is good. Lead me where You will; put on me what attire You will. I will defend You before humanity" in the words of Epictetos (Enheiridion 2:16).

If a spiritual non-Christian philosopher could surrender himself so wholly to an unknown God, how much more should Christians, who claim that they know God, em- brace this principle?

Spiritual growth is not only for philosophers and theo- logians but it should be the experience of every person. To read and meditate, to pray and contemplate, to fast and to practice love; to have faith and pursue knowledge are keys which ultimately lead any individual who aspires and tries to become a partaker of the divine nature. And spiritual life need not be a set of rules or formal repeti- tions. Nothing routine should stifle the spontaneous heart, longing for an intimate communion with God.

Spiritual growth is a journey and an odyssey, into a dei- fying life with God, a union of human will with the divine will, of human consciousness in the ever-presence of God, who creates, redeems, and sanctifies.

Believers trained in prayer and contemplation, in faith and knowledge, in active love and constant effort, in hu- mility and maturity do not fail to experience the reality of God's presence in the depths of their soul.

For in the last analysis "in him (God) we live, we move, and in him we have our existence" as the ancient Greek philosopher said and the Christian apostle confirmed (Acts 17:28).

_________________________________________

Fr. Constantelos is Charles Townsend Professor of History at Richard Stockton State College in Pomo- na, N.J.

Evangelism. Witness. Discipleship.

Often, the attitude of Orthodox Christians is that these are "foreign" words or concepts, and that they belong to Protestant TV evangelists, not to ordinary (Eastern) Or- thodox Christians!

Earlier this year, a devoted, hardworking member of a parish where I was substituting "bent my ear" over lunch.

By Fr. Gregory Wingenbach

"These converts make me nervous, Father. It's hard e- nough getting our children to carry on our traditions, espe- cially with all these 'mixed marriages'," she said. "Now, here come these different people from other backgrounds, and they even take over our own church organizations. It's just not the same as it was, as you and I knew from Pa- pou's day when we were growing up back East!"

In the next breath, she suddenly realized she'd been talk- ing to a convert himself. She began stammering an apol- ogy, 'Well, you studied in Greece and pastored in tradi- tional Greek parishes, so you know what I mean, don't you?"

Though it's to be expected, given how hard it is for an- y people to change, still these types of attitudes --even after Orthodoxy's history of 200 years in this country-- make it hard for Orthodox priests and laypeople to give our Church a chance to be a real, living force in America today.

It's obviously more comfortable to "just be happy," as the song goes, in the place we find ourselves in. Chal- lenges are hard enough in the business world we work in. "The church should be the one place I can just pray and get away from it all, not another place of activity," one parish council leader insisted to his bishop, after the hier- arch had urged the community to "get more involved ... show your faith."

Or, as another put it, "Nowhere does our religion ex- pect us to bother anybody else about what we believe or how we worship. We live our way, they live theirs. Right?"

Wrong! Nothing could be further from the facts of Or- thodoxy's own history of two thousand years.

A torah, or basic teaching from the Scriptures, sum- marizes it this way: I, your Lord, have consecrated you, as My chosen witnesses - to proclaim My covenant to eve- ryone, (so that) all nations shall come in holy procession to the House of the Lord, (which) shall be known as the House of prayer for all people...

Then, our Lord Jesus seals it, saying it is the respon- sibility of all who follow Him to "preach the Good News (evangelion) to the whole of creation...to see that those not yet of this fold shall hear My voice"...Therefore, "make disciples of all," see that they become members themselves of the Church which He founded, "one flock with one Shepherd."

That's the call which the Apostles, St. John Chrysosto- mos, the missionary brothers Ss. Cyril & Methodios, St. Ser- aphim of Sarov, and many thousands of others answered and gave their whole lives for: all in the interest of our holy Orthodox Christian Church, as disciples of our Risen Lord.

Then who's the "target audience?"

Does this mean that - like the Jehovah Witnesses or Mor- mons - we Orthodox are expected to go banging on our neighbors' doors or pass out tracts in the area malls, e- ven if we know these people are already active Prot- estants, Roman Catholics, Jews or Muslims?

Let's put it this way. By recent count, there are now at least 60 million Americans who have no serious religious belief, belong to no church or temple, and have little or no basic idea of what Christian beliefs, worship or morals are.

Of that number, however, over one-third are looking for some kind of faith and community that can give mean- ing to their day-to-day lives.

They don't want to be pressured. No, but many do want to see some evidence of faith around them, some firm morals and ethical standards, some way of life that offers hope and faith and makes sense of life.

Then, out of the estimated 4 to 5 million that our churches claim in the United States, there are all too many (East- ern) Orthodox who no longer have much, if anything to do with their families' original faith and community.

And there may be many different reasons why they have come to that faith-less state of being, whether through their own and/or others' fault. But that's another story.

So, between the millions of non-Orthodox "unchurched" and those who no longer seriously identify with their Or- thodox heritage and upbringing, there's surely plenty of chal- lenge to go around for any would-be Orthodox evangelist.

How Can We Witness & Evangelize?

Whether you're more inclined to help to return those who were formerly Orthodox or to reach out to the mil- lions of "unchurched" Americans, here are some practical, helpful hints: Offer your own prayers. Take part in the Lit- urgy, sacraments, parish life. Read your Bible and the Church's writings. Learn and know your faith.

You don't have to be a seminary graduate, theologian or scripture scholar. But you do need to be grounded in Orthodoxy's basic history, faith and moral way of life.

Make sure your home shows you're Orthodox: icons in the home, prayers at meals and to bless other family/per- sonal activities.

Don't be bashful about expressing your faith with your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Share what God is doing in your life - without being preachy.

Express your moral feelings and faithful hope when sig- nificant issues or headline stories come up for discussion. Church and faith aren't "just a couple of hours on Sun- day" or Holy Week, etc.

Welcome the non-Orthodox visitor, -the spouse in an interchurch marriage, your guests for the church festival. Make them feel at home.

Offer to sit with them in church and explain what's happening in our Liturgy and services when they attend for any occasion.

Smile. Try your best to be a good person who knows that baptism and church life truly "make the difference" in how we live.

As one non-Christian said many years ago, "Look at these Christians. Isn't it wonderful how they love one an- other!"

When you send greeting cards or gifts, without being showy share your faith by appropriately allowing the oc- casion, card or gift to express your faith.

Help others to see God's hope and abiding love when tragedies or difficult circumstances happen in their lives.

Ask your pastor or bishop for guidance. Don't be a- fraid to refer questions or serious inquiries to your clergy, or to discuss matters of concern with them when the op- portunity arises.

And support small-group discussion in your parish, the best possible religious education programs, youth and fam- ily ministries and your pastor's and bishop's efforts to help your church grow in faith and life.

No, you don't have to 'proselytize' that is, force your beliefs on others - in order to do the job. By doing as much of the above as you can, you will become a true evan- gelist, give meaningful witness to what we believe and do, and help yourself and others as disciples of the Risen Lord.

What's un-Orthodox about that?

___________________________________________

Fr. Wingenbach, a Greek Orthodox priest of 25 years, is former national director of the Archdiocese's family/pastoral ministries and, for the past six years, has headed a regional ecumenical/interfaith agency headquartered in Louisville, Ky. Both converts, he and Presbytera MaryAnn have four children and four grandchildren.

ΚΩΝ/ΠΟΛΗ.- Δύο δρόμους θεωρεί πρόσφορους ο Οικου- μενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος για την επίλυση του προβλήματος της Ουνίας, το οποίο ταλανίζει τις σχέσεις της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας με την Καθολική: τη μετάνοια και την αλήθεια.

Αυτά επισήμανε ο Προκαθήμενος της Ορθοδοξίας κατά την ομιλία του στον πατριαρχικό ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου στο Φανάρι, στη θρονική εορτή της εκκλησίας της Κων- σταντινουπόλεως λέγοντας: «Μήπως η οριστική εν μετα- νοία και αληθεία επίλυσις του κακώς διαιωνιζομένου προ- βλήματος της Ουνίας δεν θα ήτο η πλέον πειστική πράξις ενότητος, κορωνίς αξία του έτους 2000;» Και στη συνέ- χεια έδωσε καταφατική απάντηση.

Η ομιλία του Πατριάρχη έγινε κατά την προσφώνησή του προς τον επικεφαλής της αντιπροσωπείας της Καθολικής Εκκλησίας και προσωπικό απεσταλμένο του Πάπα Ιωάννη-Παύλου Β´, που παρέστη, όπως κάθε χρόνο, στη θρονική εορτή κατά την οποία τιμάται η μνήμη του Αποστόλου Αν- δρέα ως ιδρυτή της Πρωτόθρονης Εκκλησίας.

Εδώ και τρεις δεκαετίες περίπου, αντιπροσωπείες των δύο Εκκλησιών συναντώνται κατά τις θρονικές εορτές τους, Αγίου Ανδρέα και Αποστόλου Πέτρου και Παύλου αντί- στοιχα.

Στη διάρκεια τους ανταλλάσσουν χαιρετισμούς και προ- βαίνουν σε μια αποτίμηση της πορείας του θεολογικού δια- λόγου μεταξύ των δύο Εκκλησιών, ο οποίος ξεκίνησε το 1980 στην Πάτμο και Ρόδο.

Στη φετινή συνάντηση της αντιπροσωπείας του Βατι- κανού με αυτή του Πατριαρχείου έγιναν ιδιαίτερα εποι- κοδομητικές συζητήσεις υπό την συμπροεδρία του καρ- δινάλιου Εντουαρντ Κάσιντι και του Μητροπολίτη Γέρον- τος Εφέσου Χρυστοστόμου.

Με ιεροπρέπεια και παραδοσιακή μεγαλοπρέπεια εορ- τάσθηκε η μνήμη του Αποστόλου Ανδρέα κατά τη θεία Λει- τουργία που τελέσθηκε στον πατριαρχικό ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου, προεξάρχοντος του Πατριάρχου Βαρθολομαίου και συλλειτουργούντων Ιεραρχών του Οικουμενικού Θρό- νου και του Πατριαρχείου Βουλγαρίας.

Τον πανηγυρικό της ημέρας εκφώνησε ο Μητροπολί- της Φιλαδελφείας Μελίτων. Παρέστησαν ο αναπληρωτής Υπουργός Εξωτερικών Γεώργιος Παπανδρέου, ο πρέσβης της Ελλάδας στην Αγκυρα, ο Γεν. Πρόξενος και ο Πρό- ξενος στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, ο Μέγας Ευεργέτης και Μ. Λογοθέτης του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου Παναγιώτης Αγγελόπουλος, ο Διοικητής του Αγίου Ορους, ξένοι διπλω- μάτες, εκπρόσωποι άλλων χριστιανικών δογμάτων, προσ- κυνητές από την Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό και ομογενείς της Κωνσταντινούπολης.

Παρέστη επίσης ο επιχειρηματίας Σταύρος Παπαδόπου- λος, ο οποίος είναι από τους ευεργέτες της νέας Μητρό- πολης Χονγκ Κονγκ και Νοτιανατολικής Ασίας (ιδρύθηκε πρόσφατα από το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο), καθώς πρόσ- φερε το ποσό των 500.000 δολαρίων για την ανοικοδό- μηση του μητροπολιτικού ναού του Αγίου Λουκά και της έδρας της Μητρόπολης.

Η προσφώνηση του Πατριάρχη

Στην προσφώνησή του προς τον απεσταλμένο του Πά- πα, ο Πατριάρχης αναφέρθηκε ακόμη στο γεγονός ότι οι πρόσωπο προς πρόσωπο συναντήσεις των δύο μερών παρέ- χουν την ευκαιρία στην αναγκαιότητα από κοινού εκτί- μησης της παρούσης κατάστασης στην Εκκλησία. Στη συνέ- χεια, επισημαίνοντας την ευθύνη της Εκκλησίας μπροστά στην τρίτη χιλιετία που ανατέλλει, ο Πατριάρχης τόνισε μεταξύ άλλων: «Πολλαί πολλών προσδοκίαι και δη των πι- στών ανθρώπων. Δικαία δε προ παντός η αξίωσις, όπως στεφθή η λήξις της δευτέρας χιλιετίας διά τινος πράξεως των Χριστιανικών εκκλησιών ικανής ίνα ενσταλάξη βε- βαίαν ελπίδα εις τας ψυχάς των ανθρώπων εκείνων, οί- τινες αρνούνται να αποδεχθούν την διαίρεσιν, συνεισ- ερχομένην εις την τρίτην χιλιετίαν εν χλευαστική καυχή- σει. Προφανές εν προκειμένω ότι την δικαίαν ταύτην προσ- δοκίαν εκτρέφει εν πολλοίς η ανάμνησις της προ τριά- κοντα και ενός ετών γενομένης άρσεως των αναθεμάτων μεταξύ των Εκκλησιών ημών. Κατεδείχθη τότε τοις πι- στοίς, ότι η χάρις του Θεού και η δι' αυτής κτωμένη τόλμη δυνατόν καταδεικνύει το επί πολλούς αιώνας ως αδύνα- τον εκλαμβανόμενον. Εκτρέφει επί πλέον την προσδοκίαν η παρά τας διαψεύσεις ισχυρά έφεσις προς την ενότητα πολλών ευσεβών ανθρώπων, οίτινες ορθώς διαισθάνον- ται, ότι η ανθρωπότης, ενώπιον διαιωνιζομένων προβλη- μάτων και τροματικών καινοφανών προκλήσεων ευρισκο- μένη, έχει επείγουσαν ανάγκην λόγου ζωής και ελπίδος, αλλά και προφητικής προειδοποιήσεως περί των όσων λέ- γει και προστάζει Κύριος ο Παντοκράτωρ. Είναι δε προφα- νές, ότι η τοιαύτη προσδοκία των ανθρώπων απευθύνεται μετ' ιδιαζούσης επιτάσεως προς τας ημετέρας Εκκλησίας της Πρεσβυτέρας και της Νέας Ρώμης, από των οποίων α- ναμένονται ορατά σημεία ενότητος, αλληλεγγύης, ειλικρι- νούς και αποτελεσματικής συνεργασίας».

Στην αντιφώνησή του ο επικεφαλής της αντιπροσω- πείας του Βατικανού, καρδινάλιος Κάσιντι (Πρόεδρος του Ποντιφικού Συμβουλίου της Καθολικής Εκκλησίας για την προώθηση της ενότητος των Χριστιανών), αφού υπογράμ- μισε ότι οι ανταλλαγές αντιπροσωπειών στις θρονικές εορ- τές έχουν σκοπό την περαιτέρω ενίσχυση της διαδικασίας αποκατάστασης της πλήρους ενότητας μεταξύ των δύο Εκκλησιών, επισήμανε ότι ο θεολογικός διάλογος μεταξύ Ορθοδόξων και Καθολικών απέβη, μέχρι σήμερα, καρπο- φόρος σε γενικές γραμμές και η πείρα που αποκτήθηκε παρέχει τις ενδείξεις που θα πρέπει να ληφθούν υπόψη εάν επιθυμούμε να είναι εξίσου καρποφόρο και το μέλλον του διαλόγου.

Επιστολή του Πάπα

Στο τέλος της ομιλίας του, ο καρδινάλιος ενεχείρισε στον Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίο επιστολή του Πάπα Ιωάννη-Παύ- λου Β´. Σ' αυτήν, ο Προκαθήμενος της Καθολικής Εκκλη- σίας αναφέρεται στη χρησιμότητα της ανταλλαγής των αν- τιπροσωπειών στις θρονικές εορτές και αξιολογεί την μέχρι σήμερα πορεία του διαλόγου, γράφοντας μεταξύ άλλων:

«Ο διάλογος ούτος, διαδικασία βραδύς και κοπιώδης, ή- τις, παρά ταύτα, υπήρξε πηγή μεγάλης χαράς, έδωσε καρ- πούς. Οι καρποί ούτοι ίσως εμφανίζονται ανέλπιστοι, επει- δή η προ ημών οδός τυγχάνει εισέτι μακρά. Θα πρέπει να εθισθώμεν να δίδωμεν πάντοτε εκ βαθέων απάντησιν εις την προτροπήν του αποστόλου: αλλήλων τα βάρη βαστά- ζετε. Σήμερον δε, επί την οδόν της τρίτης χιλιετίας της ι- στορίας ημών, επιδιώκομεν όπως αι Χριστιανικαί Κοινότη- τες, εν τη πίστει και τη ζεούση επιθυμία αυτών δια την σω- τηρίαν της ανθρωπότητος, ευρίσκονται διαθέσιμοι ολονέν και περισσότερον εις την κλήσιν του Πνεύματος, το ο- ποίον προσανατολίζει πάντας τους Χριστιανούς προς την πλήρη και ορατήν ενότητα. Λόγω αυτής ταύτης της φύ- σεως, της ήδη μεταξύ ημών υφισταμένης κοινωνίας οφεί- λομεν να προσευχώμεθα ενθέρμως και να συνεχίσωμεν επιμόνως την αναζήτησιν ημών».

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ.- Η Αγία και Ιερά Σύνοδος του Οικουμε- νικού Πατριαρχείου εξέλεξε παμψηφεί την Δευτέρα, 2 Δε- κεμβρίου, τον Θεοφ. Επίσκοπο Δορυλαίου κ. Αθηναγόρα σε Μητροπολίτη Παναμά, υπέρτιμο και έξαρχο Κεντρικής Αμερικής.

Ταυτόχρονα, ανύψωσε σε Μητροπολίτη Χονγκ Κονγκ τον Πανοσ. Αρχιμανδρίτη Νικήτα Λούλια, που επί σειρά ε- τών υπηρέτησε ως Πρωτοσύγκελος στην Επισκοπή Σικά- γου.

Ο Σεβ. Μητροπολίτης Παναμά κ. Αθηναγόρας γεννή- θηκε στο Σικάγο το 1941. Φοίτησε στο ημερήσιο σχολείο «Σωκράτης» του Σικάγου και συνέχισε τις σπουδές του στη Θεολογική Σχολή του Τιμίου Σταυρού Βοστώνης, στη Θεολογική Σχολή της Χάλκης και στη Θεολογική Σχολή του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών, απ' όπου αποφοίτησε με πτυ- χίο Θεολογίας το 1965.

Επιστρέφοντας στο Σικάγο ανέλαβε βοηθός του Επι- σκόπου Μελέτιου και χειροτονήθηκε Διάκονος την ίδια χρονιά. Στη συνέχεια υπηρέτησε ως βοηθός του Επισκό- που Τορόντο Τιμοθέου και χειροτονήθηκε Πρεσβύτερος το 1967. Υπηρέτησε ευδόκιμα σε κοινότητες του Καναδά και των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών (Οντάριο, Μίσιγκαν, Ιλινόι και Νέα Υόρκη) και διατέλεσε Πρωτοσύγκελος της Επισκοπής Σικάγου.

Η Ιερά Σύνοδος του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου τον εξέλεξε Επίσκοπο Δορυλαίου το 1982 και υπηρέτησε ως Βοηθός Επίσκοπος στην Αμερική, έχοντας την εποπτεία της Ακαδημίας Αγίου Βασιλείου και την ποιμαντική επι- στασία των κοινοτήτων της άνω περιοχής της Πολιτείας Νέας Υόρκης. Εκπροσώπησε τον Σεβ. Αρχιεπίσκοπο πρώην Αμερικής σε πολλές αποστολές και υπηρέτησε την Εκκλη- σία σε ποικίλους τομείς, όπως σε θέματα διεκκλησια- στικών και διαχριστιανικών σχέσεων. Σε πρόσφατη απο- στολή που του ανέθεσε το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο, ανέ- λαβε την οργάνωση και ίδρυση της Μητρόπολης Χονγκ-Κονγκ.

Η ενθρόνιση του νέου Μητροπολίτη Παναμά και Κεν- τρικής Αμερικής κ. Αθηναγόρα θα γίνει στις 25 Ιανουα- ρίου 1997.

Ο Σεβ. Μητροπολίτης Χονγκ-Κονγκ κ. Νικήτας γεννή- θηκε στην Τάμπα της Φλόριδας στις 22 Ιουνίου 1955 και μεγάλωσε στο Τάρπον Σπρινγκς. Αμφότεροι οι γονείς του, Κωνσταντίνος και Κάλι Λούλιας γεννήθηκαν στην Πενσιλ- βάνια, με καταγωγή του πατέρα του από την Κοζάνη και της μητέρας του από την Κάλυμνο.

Μετά τις γυμνασιακές σπουδές του, φοίτησε στο Πανε- πιστήμιο της Φλόριδας και στη συνέχεια στη Θεολογική Σχολή Τιμίου Σταυρού στο Μπρουκλάιν Μασαχουσέτης. Ολοκλήρωσε τις μεταπτυχιακές σπουδές του στη Θεολο- γική Σχολή του Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης και επιστρέ- φοντας στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες εργάστηκε στο γραφείο του ομογενή βουλευτή Μάικλ Μπιλιράκη.

Χειροτονήθηκε διάκονος τον Ιανουάριο του 1985, πρεσ- βύτερος τον Μάρτιο του ιδίου έτους, ενώ αρχιμανδρίτης έγινε το 1988. Υπηρέτησε στην κοινότητα Αγίων Κων- σταντίνου και Ελένης στο Μέριβιλ της Ιντιάνα και στο διάστημα 1987-1995 ήταν Πρωτοσύγκελος της Επισκοπής Σικάγου. Κατά την περίοδο 1992-93 μετέβη στη Ρωσία, όπου στη Θεολογική Ακαδημία της Αγίας Πετρούπολης διδάχθηκε τη ρωσική γλώσσα. Από το 1995 μέχρι την ανύψωσή του, υπηρέτησε ως ιερατικώς προϊστάμενος της κοινότητας του Αγίου Δημητρίου στο Σικάγο του Ιλινόι.

Σε δηλώσεις του μετά την ανακοίνωση της εκλογής του από το Πατριαρχείο, εξέφρασε την ευγνωμοσύνη του προς τον Πατριάρχη και την Ιερά Σύνοδο και είπε ότι παρά το ότι αναχωρεί για ένα άγνωστο τόπο, όπου δεν ξέρει αν υπάρχει υποδομή και ποίμνιο, έχει μέσα του την ελπίδα και το ζήλο για αυτήν την «ιεραποστολή», όπως απο- κάλεσε τα καθήκοντα που αναλαμβάνει.

Η χειροτονία του ως Μητροπολίτη έγινε στις 14 Δε- κεμβρίου στο Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο.

ΟΥΕΛΙΓΚΤΟΝ.- Η παρουσία του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίου στη μακρινή Νέα Ζηλανδία, στο Ουελιγκτον, πρωτεύουσα της χώρας, υπήρξε ένα ιδιαίτερα χαρμόσυνο γεγονός για Ορθόδοξους και μη.

Η ποιμαντική αυτή περιοδεία συντέλεσε στην ενίσχυση του Θρησκευτικού συναισθήματος των ελληνορθοδόξων πι- στών, οι οποίοι προοδεύουν σ' αυτό το ακραίο νότιο ανα- τολικό τμήμα της υδρογείου. Επίσης ήταν μια ενίσχυση των δεσμών με το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο και ένα αναβάπτι- σμα στην κολυμβήθρα της Ορθοδοξίας και των παραδό- σεων του Γένους μας. Οι ομογενείς μας τον υποδέχθηκαν με ιδιαίτερα αισθήματα χαράς και τιμής.

Του Νικολάου Μαγγίνα

Η Μητρόπολη Νέας Ζηλανδίας ιδρύθηκε πριν από 26 χρό- νια από το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο με Ποιμενάρχη τον Μητροπολίτη Διονύσιο, στον οποίο πέρσι η βασίλισσα Ελι- σάβετ της Αγγλίας, διά μέσου του Γενικού Κυβερνήτη της Νέας Ζηλανδίας, του απένειμε τον τίτλο «Σερ».

Ο Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος προεξήρχε στη Θεία Λει- τουργία, που τελέσθηκε στο Ναό του Ευαγγελισμού στο Ουέ- λιγκτον. Στη Θεία Λειτουργία παρέστησαν ο Γεν. Κυβερ- νήτης της Νέας Ζηλανδίας, εκπρόσωποι άλλων χριστιανι- κών Εκκλησιών, ο Πρέσβης της Ελλάδας στην Αυστραλία και πλήθος ομογενών.

Στη διάρκεια της παραμονής του, ο Παναγιότατος είχε συ- ναντήσεις με τους δημάρχους του Ουέλιγκτον και του Χότ, ενώ κατέθεσε στεφάνι στο Ελληνο-Νεο Ζηλανδικό μνημείο φιλίας, όπου και τέλεσε τρισάγιο για τους πεσόντες.

Στο αποχαιρετιστήριο δείπνο που παρέθεσε η Μητρόπο- λη προς τιμή του Πατριάρχη, παρακάθησε ο Γεν. Κυβερνή- της της χώρας με τη σύζυγό του, υπουργοί, πρέσβεις, εκ- πρόσωπος του Βατικανού καθώς και των άλλων χριστιανι- κών Εκκλησιών και πολλοί ομογενείς.

Ιδιαίτερη εντύπωση προκάλεσε το γεγονός ότι στην αί- θουσα του δείπνου τον Πατριάρχη και την ακολουθία του καλωσόρισε ομάδα ιθαγενών Μαορί με τον παραδοσιακό τους τρόπο, χορό και τραγούδι. Επισφράγισμα αυτού του χαιρετισμού ήταν άγγιγμα της μύτης του ενός με τον άλλο.

Στη διάρκεια του δείπνου ο Γεν. Κυβερνήτης της Νέας Ζηλανδίας Michael Hardie Boys, στην πρόποσή του χαιρε- τίζοντας τον Πατριάρχη «στο μακρινό φυλάκιο του λαού σας», όπως είπε χαρακτηριστικά, αναφέρθηκε στο ορθόδο- ξο ποίμνιο της χώρας λέγοντας: «Οι συμπολίτες τους Νεο- ζηλανδοί μπορούν να συμμετάσχουν σε αυτή τη χαρά, γιατί η Ορθόδοξη κοινότητα συνεισφέρει σημαντικά στη ζωή της χώρας μας. Με το δικό τους τρόπο είναι οι καλύτεροι πολί- τες».

Ο Κυβερνήτης αφού αναφέρθηκε στην ενότητα που πρέ- πει να υπάρχει μεταξύ των χριστιανών και κατ' επέκταση στην ειρηνική συνύπαρξη με όλους τους ανθρώπους, αξιο- λογώντας την παρουσία του Πατριάρχη τόνισε τα εξής:

«Γι' αυτό το λόγο, η επίσκεψη της Παναγιότατάς Σας στη Νέα Ζηλανδία είναι πολύ μεγαλύτερης σημασίας από ό,τι για τους ανθρώπους της ίδιας της Μεγάλης Εκκλησίας, ένα πραγματικά αξέχαστο γεγονός. Γιατί παρέχει στους Χριστια- νούς της Νέας Ζηλανδίας την ευκαιρία να δουν, να γνωρί- σουν και να ακούσουν έναν άνθρωπο του οποίου η συνεισ- φορά στη Χριστιανική ενότητα, καθώς και σε άλλα ζητήμα- τα που απασχολούν τους Χριστιανούς, όπως το φυσικό περιβάλλον που ο Θεός εμπιστεύθηκε στην επιμέλειά μας, είναι τόσο σημαντική.

»Και σας καλωσορίζουμε, ευχαριστώντας σας για την ευ- λογία της επίσκεψής σας και σας προσφέρουμε την υποστή- ριξη των προσευχών μας για τα ταξίδια και την ιερή απο- στολή σας».

Ο Πατριάρχης και οι Ιεράρχες της ακολουθίας του, είχαν ιδιαίτερη συνάντηση με τον Γεν. Κυβερνήτη της Νέας Ζη- λανδίας, ο οποίος παρέθεσε προς τιμή του Πατριάρχη γεύ- μα, στο οποίο παρακάθησαν τα μέλη της ακολουθίας του προκαθημένου της Ορθοδοξίας, ο Μητροπολίτης Νέας Ζη- λανδίας Διονύσιος, ο Επίσκοπος Ζήλων Σωτήριος, ο υπηρε- σιακός Πρωθυπουργός της χώρας, οι πρέσβεις της Ελλάδας στην Αυστραλία και της Τουρκίας στη Νέα Ζηλανδία, άλλοι επίσημοι και παράγοντες της Ομογένειάς μας.

Στην ομιλία του ο Γεν. Κυβερνήτης αναφέρθηκε στην πα- ρουσία των Ορθοδόξων ελληνικής καταγωγής, που φθά- νουν στις 5.000, την οποία αξιολογώντας τόνισε ότι: «δια- τηρεί μια εθνική παρουσία πραγματικά πολύτιμη για την πολιτιστική πολυφωνία αυτής της χώρας». Στη συνέχεια, διερμηνεύοντας τα αισθήματά του για τη μεγάλη χαρά της Πατριαρχικής επίσκεψης πρόσθεσε: «Η ιερή Εκκλησία του Χριστού έχει, όπως πάντα, σημαντική αποστολή σε αυτό τον κόσμο. Οι περιστάσεις απαιτούν ηγέτες με όραμα, σθέ- νος και αγιοσύνη. Εσείς, με την καλοσύνη του Θεού, φέρε- τε αυτές τις αρετές και τον ευχαριστούμε γι' αυτό».

Τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίο στην περιο- δεία του συνόδευσαν οι Μητροπολίτες Δέρκων Κωνσταν- τίνος, Ηλιουπόλεως Αθανάσιος και Φιλαδελφείας Μελίτων και ο Διάκονος Αθηναγόρας Χρυσάνης.

ΜΥΡΑ, Μικρά Ασία.- Πραγματοποιήθηκε και φέτος το καθιερωμένο, από το 1983, προσκύνημα στο ναό του Αγίου Νικολάου στα Μύρα της Λυκίας με την ευκαιρία της εορτής του Αγίου στις 6 Δεκεμβρίου.

Στη βασιλική του Αγίου Νικολάου, που σήμερα είναι μου- σείο, τελέστηκε Θεία Λειτουργία ανήμερα της μνήμης του Αγίου, προεξάρχοντος του Μητροπολίτη Μύρων Χρυσόστο- μου. Ελαβαν μέρος ιερείς από την Κωνσταντινούπολη και τη Ρόδο, καθώς και ο Εξαρχος του Πανάγιου Τάφου στην Πόλη, Αρχιμ. π. Φώτιος.

Του Νικολάου Μαγγίνα

Συμπροσευχήθηκαν οι Μητροπολίτες Πέργης Ευάγγε- λος, Θεοδωρουπόλεως Γερμανός και Λαοδικείας Ιάκωβος. Ιδιαίτερα εκτιμήθηκε η προσέλευση —για πρώτη φορά— στο προσκύνημα του Γενικού Προξένου της Ελλάδας στην Κων- σταντινούπολη, Φώτιου Ξύδα και της Προξένου Στυλιανής Μπε- ζιρτζόγλου. Επίσης παρέστη, όπως και τις προηγούμενες χρονιές, ο Πρόξενος της Ελλάδας στη Σμύρνη κ. Φρυγανάς. Οι αντιπρόσωποι της Ελλάδας συμμετείχαν με τους προσκυ- νητές σε όλες τις εκδηλώσεις κατά τη διάρκεια του προσκυ- νήματος. Προσκυνητές είχαν φθάσει από την Κωνσταντι- νούπολη και τη Ρόδο.

Στη διάρκεια της Θείας Λειτουργίας μίλησε ο Μητροπο- λίτης Μύρων Χρυσόστομος, αναφερόμενος στην πορεία της ρωμιοσύνης στα αγιασμένα χώματα της Μικράς Ασίας και στην παρουσία της. Στη συνέχεια, έρανε με ανθόνερο τον κενό τάφο του Αγίου Νικολάου, ενώ ιδιαίτερα συγκινητική ήταν και η προσκύνηση τεμαχίου λειψάνου του Αγίου των ναυτικών. Ο τάφος, που βρίσκεται στη βασιλική του Αγίου Νικολάου, τον Μάιο του 1087, συλήθηκε από Ιταλούς που έκλεψαν και μετέφεραν το σκήνωμα του Αγίου στο Μπάρι της Ιταλίας, όπου παραμένει μέχρι σήμερα και τιμάται ιδιαίτερα με σειρά ξεχωριστών τελετών. Ο ναός του Αγίου στά Μύρα είναι κτισμένος από τον 4ο αιώνα, αλλά έχει υποστεί ζημιές από σεισμούς και επιδρομές και η σημερινή του μορφή είναι αποτέλεσμα των αναστηλωτικών εργασιών που έγιναν το 1850.

Ηταν εμφανής η συγκίνηση στα πρόσωπα των προσκυ- νητών, που άφησαν και πάλι την ησυχία τους για να τιμή- σουν στή νοτιοδυτική Μικρά Ασία μνήμες λησμονημένες.

Υπενθυμίζουμε πως πρίν από δεκατέσσερα χρόνια ξεκί- νησε για πρώτη φορά η προσπάθεια πραγματοποίησης προ- σκυνήματος στο ναό του Αγίου Νικολάου στα Μύρα της Λυ- κίας, εκεί που κάποτε χτυπούσε η καρδιά της ρωμιοσύνης και όπου ο χώρος αυτός καθαγιάσθηκε από τη ζωή και τη δράση του λαοφιλούς Αγίου Νικολάου. Με την ευκαιρία μά- λιστα της συμπληρώσεως δέκα χρόνων από την έναρξη του προσκυνήματος, ο Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος μετέβη το 1992 στα Μύρα και προεξήρχε στη Θεία Λειτουργία.

Στα πλαίσια του προσκυνήματος των Μύρων πραγματο- ποιήθηκαν επισκέψεις σε αρχαιολογικούς χώρους που είναι συνδεδεμένοι με την ιστορία του Γένους μας, όπως Πέργη, Ασπενδος, Σύδη, Αττάλεια, Μύρα, καθώς και στην ευρύτε- ρη περιοχή της Λυκίας και Παμφυλίας στη νοτιοδυτική Μι- κρά Ασία, σε πόλεις και συνοικισμούς, που αναγκάσθηκαν να εγκαταλείψουν οι πρόγονοί μας πριν και ιδιαίτερα μετά τη Μικρασιατική καταστροφή.

Το προσκύνημα στον Αγιο Νικόλαο είχε και συνέχεια. Α- κολούθησε επίσκεψη στο Λιβίσι της Μάκρης, ένα χωριό εγ- καταλειμμένο, που κανείς δε θέλησε να το κατοικήσει μετά τον ξεριζωμό των Ρωμιών κατοίκων του, γεμάτο όμως ανα- μνήσεις που δύσκολα αντιλαμβάνεται κανείς μέσα στην άδι- κη σιωπή του. Ομως από τους ύμνους της Θείας Λειτουρ- γίας, που τελέστηκε στο ναό της Παναγίας από τον Μη- τροπολίτη Θεοδωρουπόλεως Γερμανό, ξαναζωντάνεψαν οι μνήμες, η ζωή, γιατί όχι, οι ελπίδες και τα όνειρα για μια ειρηνική και αρμονική συνύπαρξη των δύο γειτονικών λαών.

Τέλος, να σημειώσουμε, ότι στη διάρκεια του φετινού προσκυνήματος, διοργανώθηκε συμπόσιο αφιερωμένο στον Αγιο Νικόλαο, στο οποίο ο Μητροπολίτης Μύρων μετέφερε τον χαιρετισμό του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη. Επίσης, ομιλία για τη ζωή και δράση του Αγίου Νικολάου έκανε ο Μητρο- πολίτης Λαοδικείας Ιάκωβος.

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ.- Το 50% της γλώσσας των Καλάς, των Μακεδόνων των Ιμαλαίων, στον 19ο αιώνα ήταν ελληνική δηλώνουν Αγγλοι ερευνητές, ενώ η αρχαία ελληνική γλώσ- σα παίζει ακόμη και σήμερα πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο. Στοι- χεία όπως αυτό αλλά και άλλα σχετικά με τα ήθη τα έθιμα και τον πολιτισμό των Καλάς, καθώς και διάφορα αντι- κείμενα που όλα σχετίζονται με την αρχαία Μακεδονία και τον Μ. Αλέξανδρο, παρουσιάζονται στο βιβλίο του Δημή- τρη Αλεξάνδρου, προέδρου της πολιτιστικής εταιρείας «Μακεδνός», με τίτλο «Καλάς οι Ελληνες των Ιμαλαΐων».

Τα στοιχεία αυτά δίνουν και μια απάντηση σε ομάδα Σκοπιανών, που σε μιά ακόμη απόπειρα παραχάραξης της Ιστορίας, κυκλοφόρησαν πρόσφατα στην Αμερική βιβλίο με τίτλο «Αναζητώντας τους Μακεδόνες του Πακιστάν» στο οποίο η εθνική ταυτότητα της φυλής παρουσιάζεται ως Σκοπιανή.

Μια έκθεση με φωτογραφίες, αυθεντικές ενδυμασίες και ομοιώματα από «ιερά ξόανα» των Καλάς στη Θεσσαλο- νίκη, δίνει πρόσθετη απάντηση στη Σκοπιανή προπαγάν- δα. Στο πέρασμα των αιώνων οι Καλάς διατηρούν ανέ- παφη την ελληνικότητά τους και διακηρύσσουν με υπερη- φάνεια τις ρίζες τους. Οι γυναίκες μάλιστα φορούν στολές παρόμοιες με της Αλεξάνδρειας, της Θεσσαλονίκης και των Σαρακατσάνων ενώ πολλά από τα ξόανα της φυλής παριστάνουν έφιππο τον θεοποιημένο Μέγα Αλέξανδρο.

Σύμφωνα με την μυθολογία αυτής της «ελληνικής» φυλής, των 3.000 ατόμων στο Πακιστάν και 30.000 ατό- μων στο Αφγανιστάν, οι Καλάς είναι απόγονοι των πέντε ανδρών του «Σικαντέρ» (Μ. Αλέξανδρου) που αντίκρισαν τις πανέμορφες κόρες του Διόνυσου και έκαναν παιδιά μαζί τους παραμένοντας για πάντα στην περιοχή.

«Για τους Καλάς και τους Πατάνς του Αφγανιστάν, ο Ελληνας είναι πάντα φιλικό πρόσωπο» τονίζει ο κ. Αλε- ξάνδρου, προσθέτοντας ότι αυτοί λατρεύουν ακόμη τους θεούς του Ολύμπου. «Είναι ένα ζωντανό μουσείο που ό- μως κινδυνεύει με εξαφάνιση» λέει αναφερόμενος στη φυλή.

Ο κ. Αλεξάνδρου επισημαίνει ότι σε μία εποχή που ο ελληνισμός συρρικνώνεται διαρκώς η παρουσία τέτοιων ελληνικών μειονοτήτων θα έπρεπε να αντιμετωπίζεται με υψηλό αίσθημα ευθύνης από τη χώρα μας. «Θα μπο- ρούσα να προτείνω να ευαισθητοποιηθεί η UΝΕSCΟ, ώστε να μη χαθεί ο μοναδικός λαός των Καλάς, να σταλούν σε πρώτη φάση αγγλόφωνα βιβλία για την Μακεδονία και τον Αλέξανδρο, να μεταβούν στο Πακιστάν αρχαιολόγοι για ανασκαφές και μελέτες, να δοθούν υποτροφίες σε αν- θρώπους που λατρεύουν κάθε τι ελληνικό στην περιοχή αυτή και να αναπτυχθούν πολιτιστικές ανταλλαγές γιατί το έδαφος είναι ιδιαίτερα πρόσφορο» τονίζει ο κ. Αλε- ξάνδρου.

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ.- Η Ιερά Επαρχιακή Σύνοδος της Αρχιε- πισκοπής Αμερικής συνήλθε σε τακτική συνεδρίαση στις 19 Νοεμβρίου με πρόεδρο για πρώτη φορά τον Σεβ. Αρ- χιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής κ. Σπυρίδωνα και ασχολήθηκε με τα ακόλουθα θέματα που είχαν συμπεριληφθεί στην ημερή- σια διάταξή της:

●  Αναβάθμιση και προβολή του έργου της Συνόδου

●  Σύνθεση Συνοδικών Επιτροπών

●  Επίσκεψη της Επιτροπής Συντάγματος στο Οικουμε- νικό Πατριαρχείο

●  Αναθεώρηση του Συντάγματος της Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής

●  Ανασύνθεση του Αρχιεπισκοπικού Συμβουλίου

●  Συνεργασία Επισκοπών για τη στήριξη τού έργου των
Ιδρυμάτων της Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής

●  Συνεργασία Επισκοπών για παρουσίαση του έργου τους
από τον «Ορθόδοξο Παρατηρητή»

●  Προγράμματα Internet της Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής

●  Θέματα σχετικά με τη SCOBA

Οι εργασίες της Συνόδου διεξήχθηκαν σε κλίμα εποι- κοδομητικό, που το χαρακτήρισε έντονα το πνεύμα αδελ- φοσύνης, ενώ στα παραπάνω θέματα, που συζητήθηκαν διεξοδικά και σε βάθος, λήφθηκαν καθοριστικές αποφά- σεις για το μελλοντικό έργο της Ι. Συνόδου στη διοίκηση της Εκκλησίας της Αμερικής.

First of three parts

'God became man that we may become gods' St. A- thanasius writes. The incarnation of God is the founda- tion of the Christian faith.

Christ is the Son and Logos (Word) of God who be- came man. He is not a man who became God, nor a man who stands in a unique and perfect relation with God.

If the latter was the truth, Christianity would not dif- fer from Judaism or any other religion.

By Rev. Dr. George Dion Dragas

Orthodox Christianity believes that in Christ God be- came man without ceasing to be God, so that we may be clothed with God's perfection.

These classical convictions of Christianity are treas- ured by the Orthodox Church as crucial and essential.

There are, however, many contemporary thinkers who regard them as untenable on the basis of certain critical syllogistic (intellectual) arguments. They argue that God cannot become man, if he is really God; that the absolute cannot be relativised; that the eternal and unchangeable cannot be subjected to that which is temporal and changeable.

Such intellectual objections to the incarnation are not new.

Thoughtful philosophers have raised similar points be- ginning with early Christian history, both from within and from without the Church.

But the Church has always regarded such objections as unrelated to Christian truth.

In the past, their proponents were characterized as her- etics, that is, as partial amateurs unable to understand the Catholic truth or Orthodox faith of Christianity.

The main problem of the ancient heretics and the con- temporary critics, as far as the incarnation is concerned, stems from their assumption that the Church's faith in this is the result of thoughtful reflection upon or sub- jective interpretation of the historic event of Christ.

For Orthodox Christians and theologians, however, the incarnation of the pre-existent Son and Logos of God is no after-the-fact explanation but an initially given truth.

Both the apostolic preaching (kerygma) and the pa- tristic teaching (dogma) of the Church pre-suppose the incarnation as fact.

When the Greek Fathers of the Church wrote about the incarnation their aim was not to explain away the event of Christ, but rather to expound its soteriological (saving) significance for all humanity.

They did not explain the event from any abstract the- oretical standpoint. They rather attempted to bring out the incarnation's inner logic. That is, they bore witness to its saving effects.

It is the same kind of exposition that this article will provide. The aim is not to examine the intellectual dic- tates of modern or ancient criticism, or the theoretical and fruitless discussion of whether or not the idea of God's incarnation is syllogistically acceptable.

The intention is to lay open the Church's understand- ing of the saving meaning of the incarnation of God in Christ for the Church and all humanity, an event which occupies the essential place in the witness of the Gospel, the Apostles and the Fathers.

Rather than develop new ideas on this topic, we shall simply repeat the classical patristic teaching on the basis of St. Athanasius' basic work, "On the incarnation of the Divine Logos" the De Incarnatione.

St. Athanasius' treatise on the incarnation is still re- garded today as the first thorough and profound expo- sition of the event of Christ. It is a continuation of an- other work, titled "Against Paganism" (Contra Gentes), the subject matter of which is summarized in the begin- ning of the De Incarnatione. This latter work deals with the problem of idolatry —man's worshipful attachment to the world (what we call today 'secularism')— caused by man's fall from the knowledge of his Creator.

The substance of the problem is the loss on the part of man of the self-consciousness that he is logical, that is "made in the image of God's Logos," and that the world lacks an independent logic of its own apart from the uncreated powers and energies of the Creator Logos.

The results of this problem pertain to man's existence and knowledge.

Man's existence is subjected to corruption and death. Man's knowledge is alienated from the truth of the world and the vision of God.

St. Athanasius maintains that the Christian reply to this problem and its fatal consequences is man's redis- covery of the Creator Logos who is the key to the exis- tence of man himself and of the entire world; for through this Logos man will be able once again to find the Image of God and the reflection of that image in himself. But man does not turn to the Logos. Hence the Logos' inter- vention or turning to man which is achieved through His incarnation.

The Saint's treatise is divided into two main parts, the first deals with the meaning of the incarnation and the second being a reply to objections raised against this e- vent by Jews and Greek philosophers.

It is to the former part that we shall turn our atten- tion in the next part.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Orthodox Christian Mission Cen- ter (OCMC) receives numerous requests for Mission Teams from communities across the globe, according to the Very Rev. Dimitrios Couchell, executive director. The OCMC tries to respond to different proposals as they are presented. The Orthodox Mission Board of Trustees has selected the Mission Team projects for 1997.

Orthodox Mission Team projects needing personnel, prayers, and support include three construction projects in West and East Africa - Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda; teaching and outreach efforts will continue in Calcutta, India; and plans are being developed for a project to assist the St. Philothea Orthodox Mission in Athens, Ga.

Volunteers are needed to participate and share the Ho- ly Orthodox Faith. Mission Team applications need to be submitted in advance.

Additional information on Orthodox mission work can be obtained through the Orthodox Christian Mission Cen- ter. To participate and support these projects, please con- tact the Project Coordinator at the OCMC, PO Box 4319, St. Augustine, FL 32085, or call 904/829-5132.

Orthodox Clergy Invited To Participate

Orthodox clergy are needed to serve as team leaders for the Orthodox Mission Team projects. Team leaders help point out the overall team experiences and serve as liaison between their team and the hosting community.

The leader brings spiritual maturity, leads the team in prayer, and points out the varied spiritual applications of the Orthodox mission team experience. Like team mem- bers, the team leader is expected to be patient, flexible, and possessing a good sense of humor.

All Orthodox clergy are invited, and have been called to participate in mission work, and understand God's high call and commitment to help others walk in the path the Lord is leading.

Clergy willing to participate on a short-term (three-to- five-week) Orthodox mission team should contact Father Dimitrios Couchell at the OCMC, PO Box 4319, St. Augus- tine, FL 32082, or call 904/829-5132.

African Projects Need Support

Since the first Orthodox mission team traveled to East Africa in 1987, the OCMC has continued offering the sup- port of mission teams to needy communities across the world.

The Orthodox Mission Team projects to Africa have suc- cessfully accomplished their goals of providing labor, teach- ing, being expressions of love, unity, and support, and creating a greater awareness of the importance of this min- istry.

These opportunities exists for all Orthodox Christians. Individuals and communities have the responsibility of implementing the work of our Lord. The call to missions includes praying, sending, going, and giving.

Along with prayers and volunteers (short-term mis- sionaries), the OCMC will also need to raise over $100, 000 toward construction projects in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda.

To sponsor or support a 1997 Orthodox Mission Team project, contact the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, PO Box 4319, St. Augustine, FL 32085, or call 904/ 829-5132.

A Book Review: "Of Life And Salvation, Reflections on Living the Christian Life" by Stanley Samuel Harakas (Light and Life Publishing. $12.95)

By E. Victoria Smith

"This book invites you to reflect on the meaning of the 14 biblical passages that are part of the current text of the Sacrament of Holy Unction."

The opening sentence establishes the contents and purpose of the author's work. Immediately our attention is aroused by this noted author's statement that, "This deliberate and careful selection has brought together some of the most meaningful and enlightening messages of the New Testament in a single place."

Fr. Harakas is referring to the Scripture readings in the Eastern Orthodox Sacrament of Holy Unction, also called the Sacrament of Prayer Oil.

For the majority of Orthodox Christians, this Sacra- ment is an annual event in Holy Week, preparatory to receiving Holy communion on Holy Thursday, the day of the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.

We listen to those moving verses from the Epistles and Gospels which tell of Christ's compassion for those He healed of every malady of soul and body, and we join the priest in the prayers petitioning God's mercy and healing upon us.

God freely gives and forgives, through His Holy Spirit, for our salvation. But are we not expected to respond to this undeserved gift by making it real and actual in our lives?

Herein lies the treasure of this book. Each Epistle and Gospel in the Sacrament of Holy Oil is presented with a "reflection" (in some instances, more than one) ―a med- itation on a message from the Scripture passage that will help the reader "grow in healing past shortcomings, grow- ing toward living the Orthodox Christian way of life, and making your salvation in Christ real."

Some of the titled Reflections which give you a ban- quet of food for thought (and growth) are: "Justifying Ourselves," Luke 10:25-37; "Love: What It Isn't," 1 Co- rinthians 13:1-6; "Afflictions," 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; "Faith- ful Persistence," Matthew 15:21-28; and, "Christian Free- dom," 2 Thessalonians 5:14-24.

Orthodox spirituality plumbs the depths of Scripture to raise us to greater heights of Christian living. It is unequaled and unsurpassed. "Of Life and Salvation" is a dynamic help to make a step upward in our Christ-like formation.

The meditation on the story of Zacchaeus, for exam- ple, explains what happens when a sinner meets Christ:

• The Lord cares enough to personally respond to his or her need to find forgiveness and redemp- tion;
• ways are given for repentance;
• guidance is provided for a new life;
• an inner change takes place which makes life new.

If you take step 1, give heed to steps 2 and 3, then step 4 becomes reality." Answer the invitation; get healed! Glorify God!

One of the best-selling books of the last 10 years has been What To Expect When You're Expecting by Eisen- berg, Murkoff and Hathaway (Workman Books).

The book does a fine job outlining what women should expect when they're pregnant. No book, however, has fully outlined what men should expect when their wives are expecting.

If the pregnant woman is just a girlfriend or an acquain- tance, the expectant father should forfeit the title "man." Real men don't produce babies outside of marriage be- cause they realize how much pain this may cause their future children.

By Fr. Angelo Artemas

That being said, it is most interesting to note how ex- pectant fathers respond to the news of a pregnancy. When a husband and a wife have been trying to get pregnant, the good news is greeted with joy and pride.

When a couple has not necessarily been trying, some- times the male reaction is less than enthusiastic.

In the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus," when the wife tells her husband that they are expecting, visibly disappointed he responds, "What? How can this be? How could you let this happen?"

All too typical of a response, this should be followed by, "Excuse me, you're a big boy now. You know how this happened. You made it happen!"

Can there by any worse way to respond to the news of new life by being disappointed? When you first en- counter the news of a pregnancy that you have caused, for the sake of the mother and for the sake of your future child, respond enthusiastically; even if you don't mean it. You knew what you were getting into when you started. Don't be surprised. Take responsibility for this new life.

Once the news has sunk in, sometimes, expectant fa- thers rationalize that having a child is not too different from having a pet. Guess again genius! Pets don't feed off of your body for thirty minutes at a time. Pets don't scream at 100 decibels until you clean up their messes. Pets don't need to be held for 14 hours a day and be gently rocked to sleep. Pets are not in danger of falling down a flight of stairs or drinking Liquid Plumber. Pets can walk and pretty much take care of themselves from infancy.

Human infants are utterly helpless. They can't even sup- port the weight of their heads on their necks. Taking care of a baby is probably the hardest job in the world. Un- fortunately, it's probably the easiest job to get.

Compared to caring for an infant, understanding preg- nancy is easy. Taking care of an infant requires the moth- er's and father's total energy. Infants will drain more en- ergy from parents than any job or activity.

Mothers may instinctively know what it takes to nur- ture a child, but fathers often wonder what they should be doing and what to expect.

Future fathers, consider the following:

Expect your life to change drastically. The fun and games are over. You are no longer an adolescent. You will have to sacrifice all of the attention that your wife used to give you, be it emotional and/or physical, because she is now nurturing a new life.

Your child is the baby, not you. Don't forget that you mar- ried the mother of your children and not your mother.

In addition to taking care of yourself again, you will also have to take care of your family. Your first priority is not your child, but your wife.

Friends and family from everywhere will be paying at- tention to the baby. You focus attention on your wife. Make sure she gets all the help she needs, and that she gets her sleep.

Learn how to hold an infant, burp him or her, change diapers, warm and mix formula, and learn how to remove stains when you do the laundry.

Since your wife is nurturing your child, cook her fa- vorite foods. If at all possible, give her a half day or full day per week to herself.

During infancy, fathering is not simply about swinging your child up and down until he or she throws up.

Fathering is about working as hard as mom. Parenting infants may well be the holiest of human endeavors.

With faith and hard work, the months will pass and your child will grow to be more independent. Then you can start to get your lives back, until baby number two.

ST. LOUIS — More than 700 persons recently honored the Rev. George Nicozisin at a retirement banquet for his 20 years as protopresbyter of St. Nicholas Church and his 40 years in the priesthood.

According to information by George A. Souris, high- lights of the event included a message from Patriarch Bartholomew, and the presentation of a patriarchal pec- toral cross by the Very Rev. Tarasios (Peter Anton), once a lay assistant at St. Nicholas now serving as second deacon at the Ecumenical Patriarchate; a 25-minute vi- deo presentation, "Remembering," depicting the life of Fr. George and his family; greetings from dignitaries and friends; choral and solo musical selections; an introduction by Georgeanne Nicozisin, daughter of Fr. George; and a heart- warming closing address by Fr. George.

Born March 22, 1927, in north St. Louis' "Kerry Patch" Irish neighborhood, the son of Demetrios and Styliani (Ma- ragides) Nicozisin, formerly of Sopiki, Albania, and Ba- lukesehr, Asia Minor, respectively, Fr. George dropped out of high school in his eagerness to join the United States Marine Corps on March 9, 1945. He served in a variety of locations from Guam to Washington, D.C.

In September 1950, he entered Holy Cross School of The- ology and graduated in June 1956 with a Bachelor of Theology degree and credentials far ordination.

He was married to the former Sylvia Labros of Mil- waukee, Wis., on July 29, and was ordained a priest at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, Chicago on Sept. 14, 1956. The couple have three children: Georgeanne, Demetra and David Demetrios.

Fr. Nicozisin served as assistant priest at Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco from Oct. 1, 1956 to June 1, 1958.

His next assignment was at St. Demetrios Church in Waukegan, III. (June 15, 1958-March 1963), followed by St. Nicholas Church in San Jose, Calif. (March 15, 1963-Feb. 25, 1967), and Annunciation Church, Rochester, N.Y. (March 1, 1967-Sept. 1, 1973). He served the St. Louis parish for 20 years until his retirement Oct. 1, 1996.

His service as a full-time parish priest was interrupted in September 1973, when he was named as national di- rector of the Archdiocese Department of Religious Educa- tion, located in Brookline, Mass., serving until Sept. 1, 1977. During this time, Fr. George drove 100 miles each weekend to serve as part-time priest at St. Nicholas Church in Manchester, N.H.

Along with his pastoral duties, Fr. George has lectured at Stanford University, St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Sem- inary, Rochester, N.Y., and Kenrick Seminary, St. Louis.

He has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses at Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and has conducted seminars on curriculum and teaching skills for priests, supervisors and church school teachers throughout the Archdiocese.

While serving as Religious Education Department di- rector, Fr. George also became a prolific author.

His books include "A History of the Church, Four Parts", "Teenage Commandments", "Road to Orthodox Christian Phronema", and "Sacraments of the Orthodox Church, Teach- er's Manual." He co-authored "Worship in the Orthodox Church", "Sacraments of the Orthodox Church", and "Creed: Simplified Dogmatics."

During his pastorate at St. Nicholas Church in St. Lou- is, he wrote "The Orthodox Church: A Well-kept Secret", "Your Marriage in the Orthodox Church", "Making the Right Spouse Choice" and "Hope of the Hopeless Volumes l and II (Books of Sermons)."

Fr. George has also written numerous pamphlets, book- lets and articles, many of which have appeared in the Orthodox Observer.

After 40 years of priestly and pastoral ministry, Fr. George regards each new day as "premium stamps," dur- ing which time he hopes to carry "a more relaxing pace" which includes improving his golf game, and sitting on the banks of a river in Montana, meditating and fly-fishing.

In the St. Louis area, he hopes to continue doing what he loves best ―writing about and teaching Orthodox Chris- tianity.

He has reassured his St. Nicholas parish family, say- ing, "I'm retiring, but not leaving you."

Principal retires

HOUSTON — Katherine Veletsos, who for 25 years served as principal of Annunciation Orthodox School, re- tired recently. She had become head of the school at the request of Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou, then cathedral dean and founder of the school along with Presbytera Diane.

Mrs. Veletsos, who formerly taught in the Houston In- dependent School District, helped develop the mission of the institution which today is considered one of the city's foremost independent schools.

From its small beginnings, the school now has an enrollment of more than 600 students from pre-school to eighth grade and occupies a campus nearly two city blocks long, according to information from Maria Newton, director of admissions and public relations.

New position for TV executive

Yvette Manessis Corporon, daughter of Archons Vice Com- mander Tasso Manessis, has been named assignment ed- itor at New York's WCBS-Channel 2.

A communications graduate, she was assignment ed- itor with Fox-Chanel 5.

Royce donates papers

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Orthodox activist Nicholas Royce, who has spent more than 50 years advancing public aware- ness and recognition of the Eastern Orthodox faith, recent- ly donated various archival materials to the University of Minnesota's Immigration History Research Center.

Royce has worked in the entertainment field since his youth in Baltimore at age 14. His dancing career has tak- en him all over the world. Most recently, he served as film coordinator for Family Theater Productions in Holly- wood until his retirement in 1994.

Law professor awarded

PHILADELPHIA — Marina Angel, a professor of law at Temple University, recently was bestowed the Philadel- phia Bar Association's Sandra Day O'Connor Award at the organization's quarterly meeting.

The award is presented annually to an outstanding wo- man lawyer in Philadelphia by the Bar Association's Wo- men in the Profession Committee.

A native of Manhattan, Professor Angel received a BA from Barnard College, a JD degree magna cum laude from Columbia University Law School and LL.M. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

T hhe visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch to distant New Zea- land and Wellington, its capital, was a significant and festive event for the Orthodox and the entire population of the country.

This pastoral tour strengthened the religious feeling of the Greek Orthodox faithful, who are marking remarkable progress in this southeastern part of the globe. It also marked a strengthening of the ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a re-baptism in the font of Orthodoxy and the traditions of our nation. The Greeks of New Zea- land welcomed him with particular joy and honor.

By Nick Manginas

The Metropolis of New Zealand was founded 26 years ago and Metropolitan Dionysios was its first prelate. Last year, Queen Elisabeth of England, through the governor general of New Zealand, knighted Metropolitan Dionysios.

The Patriarch officiated at the Divine Liturgy which was held at the Church of the Annunciation in Wellington. The Divine Liturgy was attended by the governor general of New Zealand, representatives of other Christian confessions and many Greeks of New Zealand.

The Patriarch and the hierarchs of his retinue had a pri- vate meeting with the Governor General of New Zealand Sir Michael Hardie Boys, who gave a luncheon in honor of the Patriarch.

The reception was attended by the Patriarch's retinue, the premier, the ambassadors Australia, of Greece to Aus- tralia, and Turkey's ambassador to New Zealand, and oth- er personalities from the Greek community.

In his address, the governor general spoke to the pres- ence of the Greek Orthodox in New Zealand which is "an ethnic presence that is truly valuable for the multicul- turalism of this country."

He then interpreted his feelings of great joy for the pa- triarchal visit and added, "Christ's holy Church, as ever, might work to do in this world. The work calls for leaders of vision and strength and holiness. You, Sir, in God's good- ness bring those qualities to your office and we praise Him for that."

The Patriarch also visited the Memorial of friendship be- tween Greece and New Zealand, where he solemnized a short service for those who were killed during the war and laid a wreath.

The farewell dinner which was given by the Metropolis in honor of the Patriarch was attended by the governor general with his wife, Ministers, ambassadors, the rep- resentative of the Vatican, as well as other Christian churches, and many Greeks.

Impressive was the welcoming ceremony given by a group of Maori aborigines with their traditional dances and songs. The most beautiful part of this ceremony was the touching of noses with each other, which is their way of greeting.

During the dinner Sir Michael. Hardie-Boys addressed the Patriarch and said that "from the most distant outpost of your people their fellow New Zealanders can share their joy, for the Orthodox community makes an impor- tant contribution to our national life. In their own special way, they are the best of citizens."

The governor, after referring to the unity which must exist among Christians and the greater peaceful co-ex- istence among all peoples, assessed the presence of the Patriarch and stressed the following: "Hence, the visit of Your All Holiness to New Zealand is of much wider sig- nificance than to the people of the Great Church itself, a truly memorable occasion for them though that is. For it provides an opportunity for New Zealand Christians to see, to meet and to hear one whose contribution to Christian unity, as well as to other matters of concern to Christian people, such as the natural environment entrusted to our stewardship, has been so significant.

And we welcome you, we thank you for the blessing of your visit and we offer you the support of our prayers in your travels and in your holy mission."

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Nicholas Manginas is an Athens and Constantino- ple-based photographer and journalist who accom- panied the Ecumenical Patriarch on his journey.