Ecumenical Patriarch in Athens for ecological conference

The Head of Orthodoxy praised the work of the head of the Church of Greece for the relief of the Greek people in the present conditions of the economic crisis by pointing out that "the Church stands by the Greek people and the needs they face" to underline that "Words and works relieve the people."

He expressed his gratitude for the absolute support of the great event of the Holy and Great Synod in Crete, but he did not fail to note that "unfortunately some Churches did not want to join us at the last minute, despite what we agreed in Geneva all together and signed with these Churches. At the last moment, on the 12th, they refused to attend, but that was not the reason why the Synod, which was being prepared for so many years and should have finally functioned, should not be convened, even in the absence of the brotherly churches that came to pass." At this point, he spoke of the need to disseminate the decisions of the Synod. "Now, together, we must implement the decisions of the Session. Already many theological schools and individual theologians are developing them," he underlined.

Then he spoke of the great Theological Conference in Thessaloniki in April 2018 that will be held to "disseminate as widely as possible the decisions of this Synod to become the property of the Orthodox faithful."

The Ecumenical Patriarch is in Athens on the occasion of the events titled "Clean Asopos - From Idea to Action" organized by the Region of Sterea Hellas and the Municipality of Tanagra for the World Environment Day.

The main event will be held at 3 pm, at the Indoor Basketball Stadium in Schimatari, in the presence of the President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos.