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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
Bartholomew By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Mercy and Peace from the Savior Christ Born in Bethlehem * * *
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, dear children,
By the grace of God, we are once again deemed worthy to reach the great feast of the birth of the divine Word in the flesh, who came into the world to grant us “well-being,”1 remission of sin, of captivity to the works of the law and death, in order to grant us true life and great joy, which “no one can take from us.”2
We welcome the “all-perfect God,”3 who “brought love into the world,”4 who becomes “closer to us than we to ourselves.”5 Through kenosis, the divine Word condescends to the created beings in “a condescension inexplicable and incomprehensible.”6 He “whom nothing can contain” is contained in the womb of the Virgin; the greatest exists in the least. This great chapter of our faith, of how the transcendent God “became human for humankind,”7 while remaining an “inexpressible” mystery. “The great mystery of divine Incarnation ever remains a mystery.”8
This strange and paradoxical event, “which was hidden for ages and generations,”9 is the foundation of the gift of human deification. “There is no salvation in anyone else; for there is no other human name beneath heaven through which we must be saved.”10
This is the supreme truth about salvation. That we belong to Christ. That everything is united in Christ. That our corruptible nature is refashioned in Christ, the image is restored and the road toward likeness is opened for all people. By assuming human nature, the divine Word establishes the unity of humanity through a common divine predestination and salvation. And it is not only humanity that is saved, but all of creation. Just as the fall of Adam and Eve impacts all of creation, so too the Incarnation of the Son and Word of God affects all of creation. “Creation is recognized as free when those who were once in darkness become children of light.”11 Basil the Great calls us to celebrate the holy Nativity of Christ as the “common feast of all creation,” as “the salvation of the world—humanity’s day of birth.”12
Once again, the words that “Christ is born” are unfortunately heard in a world filled with violence, perilous conflict, social inequality and contempt of foundational human rights. 2018 marks the completion of seventy years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which, after the terrible experience and destruction of World War II, manifested the common and noble ideals that all peoples and countries must unwaveringly respect. However, the disregard of this Declaration continues, while various abuses and intentional misinterpretations of human rights undermine their respect and realization. We continue either not to learn from history or not to want to learn. Neither the tragic experience of violence and reduction of the human person, nor the proclamation of noble ideals have prevented the continuation of aggression and war, the exaltation of power and the exploitation of one another. Nor again have the domination of technology, the extraordinary achievements of science, and economic progress brought social justice and the peace that we so desire. Instead, in our time, the indulgence of the affluent has increased and globalization is destroying the conditions of social cohesion and harmony.
The Church cannot ignore these threats against the human person. “There is nothing as sacred as a human being, whose nature God Himself has shared.”13 We struggle for human dignity, for the protection of human freedom and justice, knowing full well that “true peace comes from God,”14 that the transcendent mystery of the Incarnation of divine Word and the gift of human deification reveals the truth about freedom and humanity’s divine destiny.
In the Church, we experience freedom through Christ, in Christ and with Christ. And the very summit of this freedom is the place of love, which “does not seek its own”15 but “derives from a pure heart.”16 Whoever depends on himself, seeks his own will, and is self-sufficient—whoever pursues deification by himself and congratulates himself—only revolves around himself and his individual self-love and self-gratification; such a person only sees others as a suppression of individual freedom. Whereas freedom in Christ is always oriented to one’s neighbor, always directed toward the other, always speaks the truth in love. The aim of the believer is not to assert his or her rights, but rather “to follow and fulfill the rights of Christ”17 in a spirit of humility and thanksgiving.
This truth about the life in Christ, about freedom as love and love as freedom, is the cornerstone and assurance for the future of humankind. When we build on this inspired ethos, we are able to confront the great challenges of our world, which threaten not only our well-being but our very survival.
The truth about the “God-man” is the response to the contemporary “man-god” and proof of our eternal destination proclaimed by the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Crete, 2016): “The Orthodox Church sets against the ‘man-god’ of the contemporary world the ‘God-man’ as the ultimate measure of all things. “We do not speak of a man who has been deified, but of God who has become man.” The Church reveals the saving truth of the God-man and His body, the Church, as the locus and mode of life in freedom, “speaking the truth in love,” and as participation even now on earth in the life of the resurrected Christ.”
The Incarnation of the divine Word is the affirmation and conviction that Christ personally guides history as a journey toward the heavenly kingdom. Of course, the journey of the Church toward the kingdom, which is not realized remotely or independently of historical reality—or its contradictions and adventures—has never been without difficulties. Nevertheless, it is in the midst of these difficulties that the Church witnesses to the truth and performs its sanctifying, pastoral and transfiguring mission. “Truth is the pillar and ground of the Church ... The pillar of the universe is the Church ... and this is a great mystery, a mystery of godliness.”18
Brothers and sisters, children in the Lord,
Let us celebrate together—with the grace of the divine Word, who dwelt in us, as well as with delight and fullness of joy—the feasts of the Twelve Days of Christmas. From the Phanar we pray that our Lord and Savior—who was incarnate out of condescension for all people—may in this coming new year grant everyone physical and spiritual health, along with peace and love for one another. May He protect His holy Church and bless the works of its ministry for the glory of His most-holy and most-praised Name.
Christmas 2017 X Bartholomew of Constantinople Your fervent supplicant before God
---------------------------------------------- 1 Gregory the Theologian, Oration XXXVIII, on Theophany, namely the Nativity of the Savior, iii, PG 36, 313. 2 John 10:18. 3 Doxastikon of the Aposticha from the Great Vespers of Christmas. 4 Nicholas Cabasilas, The Life in Christ, vi, PG 150, 657. 5 Ibid. vi PG 150, 660. 6 John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, iii, 1, PG 94, 984. 7 Maximus the Confessor, Various chapters on Theology and Economy concerning virtue and vice, First Century, 12, PG 90, 1184. 8 Ibid. 9 Col. 1:26. 10 Acts 4:12. 11 Iambic Katavasia on the Feast of Theophany, Ode VIII. 12 Basil the Great, Homily on the Nativity of Christ, PG 31, 1472-73. 13 Nicholas Cabasilas, The Life in Christ, vi, PG 150, 649. 14 John Chrysostom, On Corinthians 1, Homily I, 1, PG 61, 14. 15 1 Cor. 13:5. 16 1 Tim. 1:5. 17 Theotokion, Aposticha of the Ainoi, October 12. 18 John Chrysostom, On Timothy I, Homily XI, PG 62, 554.
---------------------------------------------- To be read in church during the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Christmas, following the Holy Gospel.
Christmas Message: For the New Phase of Iraq, Let us Move to the Path of Hope Together
Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako
On Christmas, the angels sang: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2/14). This is a title for a real and long-term project, achieved by Jesus Christ and should be accomplished in the heart of every one of us to prevail peace in the world. This heavenly project is the only hope to change our fears and worries resulted from; terrorism and wars; as well as the economic deterioration and the deadly comprehensive arms racing.
1. Hope of Iraqis After declaring the triumph over ISIS and the termination of terrorist control on Mosul and other Iraqi cities that have been invaded since June 2014, Iraqis hope is to look at this victory as a firm step forward to: attain security and stability; deal with the consequences that affected the general situation; put things at the right track; consolidate the foundations of true citizenship; resolve outstanding matters in a peaceful ways and through dialogue especially the "Kurdistan file"; eliminate corruption; get rid of the widespread religious discrimination; reform the current legal, political, social, educational, and economical matters by changing it radically; and to schedule elections on time.
Accomplishing this hope will create sort of certainty among Iraqis; escalate the credibility of the Iraqi government; and unite Iraqis under one national roof in spite of their different affiliations, as soon as their homes are restored and the liberated towns got reconstructed. This is a “big” challenge that we need to encounter reaching out to this “New Phase” based on fundamental principles.
2. Hope of Christians As a result of discrimination against Christians, threat, abduction and expulsion from their homes in Nineveh Plain by ISIS, nearly half of their population migrated (over 1.5 million people before 2003). Hence, the liberation of Christian areas oblige the Iraqi Government “as a foster mother for all” to work seriously for; facilitating the return of Christian to their homes and properties; preserving their rights as indigenous citizens; recognizing their culture, civilization and heritage as an essential part of Iraq's history; and preventing demographic changes in their historical geographic areas.
Nevertheless, the time has come for Christians to learn lessons from the past to get rid of their fears, pessimism and personal interests that divided them; clarify their visions, approaches, and unite their stances in order to consolidate their presence and their role in the public affairs and political process in a genuine national partnership away from dependency and custody. This way, Christians will be able to build their homeland, their future, hand in hand with their fellow Muslims, since the future cannot be built without tolerance and coexistence and as long as our strength is in such a mosaic beautiful fabric of Iraq. So, let us move to the path of hope together.
Also, it is time for Christians to communicate with their citizens and with the Church that embraced and supported them during this tragedy by informing the international community about their situation. In addition, the church is encouraging Christians always to hold onto their hope and return to their towns. This is our homeland and we insist to remain here.
3. Role of the Church The Church in Iraq must read the signs of the times; renew its commitment to the Gospel and to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ; also to be directed by the frequent calls of Pope Francis in deepening the spiritual relationship away from the tendency to power and money; make genuine initiatives towards unity; spread the good news in the society; and reform the religious discourse so that it goes beyond the traditional and formal style to come up as a meaningful and influential speech. Above all, the Chruch should follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ towards the needy, displaced and sick in order to provide them with the possible care. The Church has also to involve the lay people in a wider range of responsibilities through the pastoral councils, the parishes and groups of service. They are all members of the Church since they have been baptized "given a royal priesthood" that makes them partners.
In regards to Muslims, an honest dialogue is a MUST, to understand the truth of each side and accept it, especially that the Vatican Council II, in 1965, paved the way for this kind of dialogue by stating: "The Church looks with respect to the Muslims who worship the one God, the living, the mighty, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth…" (statement on the relationship of the Church with the Islamic religion … article 3). This kind of dialogue must go beyond the formalities and put more effort on those with good will in order to establish peace and security as well as promoting the values of tolerance, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
In conclusion, I urge the Christians to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have been suffering from injustice and displacement for 70 years. I also call on them today to pray for Jerusalem to remain a holy city for Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Your Eminences and Excellencies, Distinguished Faculty and Students of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is indeed honoring us by conferring upon our humble person a Doctorate Honoris Causa, which we accept wholeheartedly and gratefully. We consider this gesture a tribute paid to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Great Church of Christ, in recognition of its many initiatives, especially on matters related to the protection of the natural environment, to the culture of solidarity and to interfaith dialogue.
It is our deep conviction that in these fields, the contribution of religions remains crucial. In the last decades, we have witnessed a re-evaluation of the role of religion in the public sphere and its contribution to face the major challenges of today. Religions have preserved high values, precious spiritual and moral heritage, as well as deep anthropological knowledge. We cannot understand and properly evaluate human cultures in their unity and diversity without reference to their religious roots.
It is not by chance that, in our present day and age, the talk about the coming “post-religious age” has been replaced by the discourse of “a post-secular period,” in which religions claim and play a public role and join all the remarkable efforts of humankind. For His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper, it is a commonly accepted truth that “every society needs institutions of transcendence,” which publicly represent the “dimension of the Divine.”
Unfortunately, the ongoing outburst of religious fundamentalism and the terrible acts of violence in the name of religion provide additional arguments against faith to the modern critiques of religion, and support the identification of religion with its negative aspects. The truth is that violence is the negation of fundamental religious beliefs and doctrine.
To that end, please allow us to quote what the Encyclical of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which convened in Crete in June 2016, says about religion and violence: “We are experiencing today an increase of violence in the name of God. The explosions of fundamentalism within religious communities threaten to create the view that fundamentalism belongs to the essence of the phenomenon of religion. The truth, however, is that fundamentalism, as “zeal not based on knowledge” (Rom 10.2), constitutes an expression of morbid religiosity.” (§17)
For several centuries in the past, the Mediterranean region has experienced a peaceful cohabitation of Jews, Christians and Muslims. This experience demonstrates that people from different religions can live together, finding basic principles in their respective traditions that promote solidarity and common witness. It shows that religions can serve as bridges between people, as instruments of peace, tolerance and comprehension, as well as for the rapprochement of cultures.
Interreligious dialogue does not mean to deny one’s own faith, but rather to change one’s mind or attitude towards the other. In this sense, it can also heal and disperse prejudices, and contribute to a mutual comprehension and pacific resolution of conflicts. Biases and aggression come from the misrepresentation of religion. This is why interreligious dialogue can chase away fear and suspicion, and foster a spirit of confidence and respect, as stated by the aforementioned Holy and Great Council: “Honest interfaith dialogue contributes to the development of mutual trust and to the promotion of peace and reconciliation. The Church strives to make ‘the peace from on high’ more tangibly felt on earth. True peace is not achieved by force of arms, but only through love that ‘does not seek its own’ (1 Cor 13.5). The oil of faith must be used to soothe and heal the wounds of others, not to rekindle new fires of hatred.” (ibid.)
Since 1977, the Orthodox Church has been in dialogue with Judaism, always aiming for better mutual understanding and rapprochement. Aware of its continuity with the Old Israel, the Orthodox Church calls for fidelity to our common roots, as well as to the necessary openness required for the deepening of dialogue—essential for the life of our communities—as well as for the protection of religious freedom. We would like to remind you of what we said when we visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in May 2014: “The future can be no better than the past, if people from all cultures, religions and political thought do not learn well the lessons of the Shoah. Great tyranny and oppression were stopped in some small way by ordinary people, many of whom are commemorated in the Garden of the Righteous among the Nations.” Among these Righteous was an Orthodox nun, Maria Skobtsova—an angel to the poor—who died in a gas chamber at the Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1945 because of her solidarity with the persecuted Jews. She was canonized as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in January 2004.
We are committed to dialogue as an openness towards the other and as a pathway towards common responsibility and cooperation. Dialogue promotes confidence and mutual acceptance. It is both, a gesture of solidarity, and a source of solidarity. We constantly repeat that dialogue has neither winners, nor losers. The Ecumenical Patriarchate fosters not only interreligious and intercultural dialogues, but also fruitful encounters with secular institutions and the disciplines of philosophy and science, all of which are carried out in a spirit of love and responsibility for the human being and creation. We mention the Conference on Peace and Tolerance held in Istanbul (1994), which launched the Bosphorus Declaration, stating that a crime in the name of religion is a crime against religion. We also recall another important Conference in Brussels, which took place in December of 2001, on the peaceful coexistence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This conference rejected the accusation against religions as the cause of the clash of civilizations, and underlined the role of faith as a catalyst and platform for the creative encounter of cultures.
The credibility of religions today strongly depends on their attitude towards the protection of human freedom and dignity. This is the presupposition not only for peaceful coexistence, but also for the sheer survival of humanity. Only together can we face contemporary challenges. Nobody—not a nation, not a state, not a religion, nor science—can face the current problems alone. It is overly utopic to believe that a culture of solidarity can be established through globalization, economic progress, the internet, or even through the admirable progress of techonology. We need one another; we need common mobilization, common efforts, common goals and a common spirit. Therefore, we regard the present complex crisis as an opportunity for practicing solidarity, for dialogue and cooperation, and for openness and confidence. Since we share a common future together, consequently, the way toward this future is a common journey.
In recent years, we have experienced a serious economic, social and political crisis, connected with the process of globalization and its implications, the surrender of culture to economy—the so-called “fundamentalism of the market”—an increase in poverty, the tragedy of migration, the explosion of religious fundamentalism and international terrorism, growing ecological problems and the effects of climate change. In our eyes, all these are expressions of a worldwide crisis of solidarity.
Faced with this multifaceted crisis, the Ecumenical Patriarchate declared the year 2013 as “the year of universal solidarity.” In the respective Patriarchal Encyclical for Christmas 2012, we articulated the conviction that the ongoing worldwide economic and social crisis expresses a loss of the spirit of solidarity and compassion. Our aim was to sensitize individuals and peoples to poverty and to the great inequalities that exist in our world today. We underlined the necessity for initiatives to relieve those in need and to ensure that every human being enjoys their right to the essential goods of life.
True faith does not release humans from being responsible for the world, for respecting human dignity and for struggling for justice and peace. It does not betray earth for the sake of heaven, nor the present for the sake of the future. On the contrary, it strengthens the commitment of human action, and it enlarges our witness for freedom and core human values.
In this spirit, we are also commited to the protection of the natural environment, the oikos, the “house” of humanity. We see with great interest that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is also engaged in environmental sustainability. Some even call the Rehovot campus of your university a “Green Campus” for being so eco-friendly. We, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, are convinced that ecological commitment is not a topic of any one religion. Rather, it should be a concern for all religions, governments, civil society, and all human beings of goodwill. We cannot separate our concerns for human dignity, human rights or social justice from concerns for ecological preservation and sustainability. If we value each individual person made in the image of God, and if we value every particle of God’s creation, then we would also care for each other and our world. In religious terms, the way we relate to creation in all of its beauty directly reflects the way we relate to God and to our neighbor.
That is why on September first, 1989, our venerable predecessor, the late Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios, sent the very first Patriarchal Encyclical to all the Orthodox Churches throughout the world establishing the first of September—the beginning of the ecclesiastical year—as the Day of Prayer for the Protection of Creation. This initiative was quickly followed by the Conference of European Churches, the World Council of Churches, and more recently, the Roman Catholic Church, by our brother, Pope Francis.
In the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed—the foremost symbol and declaration of the Orthodox faith—the Orthodox Church confesses: “one God, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” Indeed, the Orthodox Christian perspective on the natural environment originates in the basic belief that this world was created by God. This is a fundamental article of our common spiritual heritage, which is founded in Holy Scripture, and states that “God saw everything that was created and, indeed, it was very good.” (Gen. 1.31)
Ladies and Gentlemen, We have repeatedly stated that the crisis we are facing today is a spiritual one. It has to do with the way in which we perceive our relation to God, to ourselves, to our fellow human beings and to creation as a whole. Religion can grant the right spiritual inspiration and orientation urgently needed today. It is, indeed, a fact that religion can humanize people, and it can support the struggle for freedom, peace and justice. Unfortunately, it can also fanaticize and dehumanize humans by cultivating fanaticism, and fostering fundamentalism and aggression. Therefore, the essential dilemma of humanity today is not between “having religion or not having religion,” but rather: “what kind of religion.” Religion is required to contribute to the protection of human freedom, to dialogue—guiding people to a change of mind and life—and to the depth of Truth.
Concerning the question of whether or not humanity is allowed to expect such an important contribution from the side of religion, we provide the following answer, with which we conclude our speech: Our biggest mistake is not the fact that we expect so much from religion, but rather, that we don’t expect even more from this great spiritual power—deeply rooted in the human soul—on matters concerning peace, solidarity, the meaning of life, and the eternal destination of the human being and creation.
KIEV/NOVOLUHANSKE, Ukraine (Reuters) - Fighting in eastern Ukraine has escalated to the worst level in months, officials monitoring the conflict said on Tuesday, after the shelling of a frontline village wounded eight civilians and destroyed or damaged dozens of homes.
Letter of Patriarch Emeritus Gregorios III For the Christmas Feast 2017
Dear Friends
This is the first letter since my renunciation of patriarchal service. I drafted these basic ideas in early November during a visit to Palermo, capital of Sicily, where, at the Pontifical Theology Faculty for all Sicily’s dioceses, I gave the inaugural address for the academic year 2017-18. I added some other ideas while attending and speaking at a congress on the topic of Christian Persecution Today held at the Schönblick Conference Centre, near Stuttgart (Germany). On both occasions I highlighted the presence and role of Christians in the East and the importance of peace for that.
On 16 November at Istanbul airport, during a long wait to return to Beirut, I started writing the first pages. For me, Istanbul means Constantinople, New Rome, capital of Orthodoxy and capital of the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire - until its fall in 1453
At the time of writing the present, it is almost eighty-five years since I entered this world in my dear home-town of Daraya (today destroyed by war), where Saul-Paul saw the light of the risen Christ. With the sixtieth anniversary of my priestly ordination (1959) already on the horizon, I have served some forty-three years, first as patriarchal vicar in Jerusalem, then as bishop and latterly as patriarch (1974-2017).
Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate Ain Traz, Aley, Lebanon
December 2017 Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Year 2018
Dear Friends
This year’s festive greetings are inspired by my pilgrim visit to the Holy Land in October 2017, after a seventeen-year absence and twenty-six-year service.
You were in my prayers, especially at the Church of the Resurrection and that of the Nativity at Bethlehem and in the other holy places that I visited.
My prayer for you is one of thanks to the Saviour and to you, because you have been my companions along my priestly, episcopal and patriarchal road, through your love, generosity and friendship. Those were fruitful years of service, with projects to the glory of God and for the welfare of my sons and daughters! In reflecting on the course of my priestly, episcopal and patriarchal life (lasting fifty-eight years) I have discovered that projects occurred annually, meaning that there were altogether fifty-eight such!
Thanks to the Saviour and to you for this abundant harvest. God and your love have filled my life with fruitfulness and dedication.
With these feelings, I wish you a Merry Christmas, after my retirement from patriarchal service! Please continue to accompany me with your prayers and love.
I repeat my favourite saying: I love you!
Merry Christmas! Happy and Holy 2018!
+Gregorios III Patriarch of Love, Reconciliation and Peace!
