Greek and Romanian True Orthodox express their unity
On the Sunday of All-Saints, June 2/15, 2014 a concelebration of Primates took place, His Beatitude Archbishop Kallinikos of our Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece concelebrated with His Beatitude Metropolitan Vlasie of Romania.
The concelebration took place in the Cathedral of St. Athanasios in New Philadelphia and eleven more hierarchs took part in addition to the two Primates: From the Synod of the Church of Greece: Their Eminences Metropolitans Gerontios of Piraeus and Salamia, Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia, Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle and Their Graces Bishops Gregory of Christianoupolis, Photios of Marathon, Ambrose of Philippi, Ambrose of Methone, and Clement of Gardikion.
From the Synod of the Church of Romania: Their Graces Bishops Sofronie of Suceava, Flavian of Ilfov, and Evloghie of Sibiu, about ten Greek and Romanian Priests, four Deacons (three Greek and one Romanian) and Sub-Deacons.
The choirs of the church chanted under the direction of Protopsaltes Nektarios Katsires and a great number of faithful were present.
During the communion of the clergy, His Grace, Bishop Clement of Gardikion, Secretary of the Holy Synod gave the sermon which he wrote at the command of the Holy Synod. Before the end of the Dismissal the two Primates gave short messages concerning the importance and the need for unity among the True Orthodox Churches during these days which are especially difficult, but also in the days to come which will possibly be even more difficult. Archbishop Kallinikos gave a large painting of the Miracle of the appearance of the Holy Cross in 1925.
After the Divine Liturgy, a meal was offered to clergy and laity in the large hall of the church. Afterwards, the Hierarchs and the clergy went to the historic monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Parthenios of the Cyclades’ monastery) in Thrakomakedoes, Attica where they were received warmly by the Abbess Xene.
In the Katholikon of the monastery, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vlasie chanted a memorial service in Romanian before the relics of the ever-memorable Confessor-Hierarch Metropolitan Chrysostomos (formerly) of Phlorina, which rest in the monastery.
At 10:00 am Monday morning a Joint Deliberation took place in the Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina, the seat of our Chuch’s Holy Metropolis of Oropos and Phyle between the Greek and Romanian Hierarchs who took part in the concelebration the previous day.
During this Deliberation they discussed issues from our Common Ecclesiological Document: “The True Orthodox Church and the Heresy of Ecumenism: Dogmatic and Canonical Issues,” and appropriate explanations and clarifications were made to the questions of the Romanian brethren.
The Deliberation ended in a brotherly atmosphere of understanding, agreement and love, and the necessity and blessing of our union according to God was confirmed once more, and the desire to preserve and expand this union was also expressed.
Translated from the Greek
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