We are Orthodox Christian Greeks.
Because we are Orthodox Christians, we love our country, our people and all the peoples of the earth; this of course includes our African brothers and sisters.
Ο απολογισμός των θυμάτων του ναυαγίου πλοίου γεμάτου με μετανάστες, κυρίως υπηκόους χωρών της υποσαχάριας Αφρικής, που βυθίστηκε στα ανοικτά των ακτών της Τυνησίας νωρίτερα αυτή την εβδομάδα αυξήθηκε στους 61 νεκρούς, δήλωσε αξιωματούχος χθες Σάββατο. Στο σκάφος που απέπλευσε από το νησί Κερκένα το περασμένο Σαββατοκύριακο με σκοπό να φθάσει στις ακτές της Ιταλίας είχαν επιβιβαστεί δεκάδες άνθρωποι. Από την Πέμπτη, οι τυνησιακές έχουν κηδέψει δεκάδες από τα θύματα του ναυαγίου.
Η ακτοφυλακή ανέσυρε κι άλλα πτώματα, συμπεριλαμβανομένου αυτού ενός βρέφους, με τον απολογισμό να φθάνει έτσι τους 61 νεκρούς, σύμφωνα με αξιωματούχο της Πολιτικής Προστασίας. Ο προηγούμενος απολογισμός, που είχε ανακοινωθεί την Παρασκευή, έκανε λόγο για 55 νεκρούς. Πέρυσι 86 Αφρικανοί μετανάστες είχαν πνιγεί όταν το πλεούμενο στο οποίο είχαν επιβιβαστεί για να φθάσουν στην Ευρώπη από τη Λιβύη βυθίστηκε στα ανοικτά των τυνησιακών ακτών. Επρόκειτο για ένα από τα χειρότερα ναυάγια που κλήθηκαν να διαχειριστούν οι αρχές της Τυνησίας.
Η μη κυβερνητική οργάνωση Τυνησιακό Φόρουμ για τα Οικονομικά και Κοινωνικά Δικαιώματα έκρινε νωρίτερα αυτή την εβδομάδα ότι η νέα τραγωδία αποτέλεσε «αναπόφευκτη συνέπεια της περιοριστικής πολιτικής της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης ως προς τη μετανάστευση», καθώς οι Βρυξέλλες επικεντρώνονται περισσότερο «στην ασφάλεια» των κρατών μελών της παρά στην ανθρωπιστική αντιμετώπιση του προβλήματος «με δεδομένη την κατάσταση» στην εμπόλεμη Λιβύη.
Την ίδια ώρα 12 άνθρωποι αγνοούνται μετά το ναυάγιο της βάρκας στην οποία είχαν επιβιβαστεί μετανάστες που ήλπιζαν να φθάσουν στην Ευρώπη από τη Λιβύη, δήλωσαν επιζήσαντες χθες Σάββατο. Το ναυάγιο έγινε στα ανοικτά της πόλης Ζαουίγια, δυτικά της Τρίπολης, της λιβυκής πρωτεύουσας. Περίπου 20 από τους μετανάστες διασώθηκαν, ενημέρωσε ο Διεθνής Οργανισμός Μετανάστευσης (ΔΟΜ), που ανήκει στο σύστημα του ΟΗΕ.
Οι επιζήσαντες είπαν πως 12 μετανάστες αγνοούνται, συμπλήρωσε ο ΔΟΜ μέσω Twitter, χωρίς να υπεισέλθει σε λεπτομέρειες. Τα τελευταία χρόνια, η Λιβύη, όπου επικρατεί χάος μετά την πτώση του καθεστώτος του Μουάμαρ Καντάφι το 2011, έχει μετατραπεί σε μαγνήτη για τους μετανάστες που αποπειρώνται να φθάσουν στην Ευρώπη διά θαλάσσης συχνά με κίνδυνο της ζωής τους, με κάθε άλλο παρά αξιόπλοα σκάφη.
Khanya, 2015 (orthodox christian blog from South Africa)
Today I had a visit from three priests, and we had an interesting discussion on mission and migrancy. Fr Ciprian Burlacioiu is a Romanian priest based in Munich in
Germany, and is doing research into mission and migrancy. He has
recently completed a monograph on the African Orthodox Church in South
Africa, and his current research project grows out of that. Fr Diliza Valisa and Fr Mthuthuzeli Thompson are priests in the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Fr Diliza is writing a history of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church in South Africa, and I am editing it for him
to help him get it ready for publication.
Mthuthuzeli Thompson, Ciprian Burlacioiu, Diliza Valisa, with the holy icons of the Lord
& (I think) St. Kosmas Aitolos, the New Hieromartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles
Cipian himself is in a situation of migrant ministry — his parish in
Munich caters mainly for migrant workers from Romania, who are there to
make money and possibly go home, so the church is not the highest
priority in their lives.
Mthuthuzeli Thompson
Mthuthuzeli Thompson is in a similar position. The bulk of the
congregation are migrants from Ethiopia. They have their Sunday services
at 6:00 am, and it’s all over by 8:30. Most of the congregation are
businessmen, and they have to be at work by 9:00. The South Africans
complain that the services are too early. By the time they wake up on a
Sunday morning the service is over. Fr Diliza Valisa commented on the fissiparousness of South African
Christianity. No one knows exactly how many different Christian
denominations there are in South Africa, but there are well over
10 000.The Ethiopian Church in South Africa sprang from the Ethiopian
Church founded by Mangena Mokone in Marabastad, Pretoria, in 1892. It
was a breakaway from the Wesleyan Methodist Church. It united briefly
with the African Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA, and then a
substantial fraction under James Mata Dwane joined linked to the
Anglican Church as the Order of Ethiopia, and it continued like that for
70 years, when it weas decided that the Order of Ethiopia should have
its own bishop. Unfortunately they could not agree who should be
elected, so the choice fell to the Anglican Synod of Bishops, who chose
the Revd Sigqibo Dwane, the grandson of the founder. He was not a
popular choice, however, because he had not grown up within the Order of
Ethiopia himself, and so there were numerous splits. One group, under
the Revd Ephraim Hopa, who had been the Provincial of the Order, made
contact with the Church of Ethiopia, and united with it, so completing
Mangena Mokone’s vision of 90 years before, of an indigenous African
Church that was older than most of the European churches that had sent
missionaries to Africa. But even then there were splits, as people
wanted to be leaders on their own account, and that in turn led us to a
discussion of married bishops.
Fr Ciprian Burlacioiu
Many of the clergy who left the Ethiopian Orthodox Church did so
because they wanted to be bishops, and as bishops in the Orthodox
churches have to be monks, and therefore unmarried, they saw no future
for themselves and left to start their own denominations. Mthuthuzeli
Thompson said that in part that was a cultural thing. In Xhosa culture,
in particular, an unmarried man is still a child, and his opinion does
not count. The idea of an unmarried man being a church l;eader therefore
does not fit, and people find it difficult to respect an unmarried
bishop. Fr Ciprian Burlacioiu said that his original research into the
African Orthodox Church indicated that Christianity had spread in many
p0arts of Africa through migrancy. Migrant workers went to the diamond
mines at Kimberley (where the AOC started) mainly in order to earn money
to buy guns. But in the course of working in such places they came into
contact with the Christian faith in various forms, and then took it
back to the places where they lived, and thus the Christian message
spread though largely informal channels of migrant workers. He is here to do more research into this, and after our discussion,
he and I went to the national archives so he could follow it up, but
unfortuately the power was off at the archives, and so we could not go
there. That is rather sad, as he is only here for a limited time, and it
seems that one of the places where he was hoping to do research may not
be available. Ciprian also commented on the recent influx of refugees from war-torn
Syria into Germany. Some have said that they are economic migrants
rather than refugees. Ciprian said that there are also large numbers of
economic migrants in Munich — many from Greece. On Sunday he joined us in our service at Mamelodi, and as it was the
bfeast of St Michael and the Angels, he spoke a little about the angels.
And even there, though the people in the congregation have lived in
town all their lives, they still gregard “home” as a rural area
somewhere in the region of Polokwane or Tzaneen. So migrancy persists
for a long time, and the church has not really come to terms with it.
St Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven,
celebrated in a house church in Mamelodi East
Anyway, we had an interesting conversation, and here I am trying to
write down what I remember of it before I forget completely, like
Boswell recording the converstions of Samuel Johnson. But if anyone
reading this knows of any research resources that might be usefulo for
Fr Ciprian’s migrancy and mission project, please let him know. You can
contact him at ciprian.burlacioiu@gmail.com See also
(Romfea) - The Alexandrian Church’s position on modern forms of slavery and on the struggle of refugees -migrants for a better life, dealing with the issue of sorcery in the African countries, applications of modern technology on the African continent today, the clergy fund, as well as ecological issues and the use of the media in the missionary work, are the most important topics to be addressed by the proceedings of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which meets in Alexandria, from October 7 to October 10, chaired by the Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa.
The highlight of the meeting will be the celebration of the Patriarchal and Synodical Divine Liturgy, attended by all the priests of the Throne, and in the presence of Greek, Cypriot and Egyptian officials, at the Monastery of St. Savvas in Alexandria, on October 9, in the same place where exactly 15 years ago, the Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore of Zimbabwe, was unanimously elected.
In total, nine presentations, the activities of the local Metropolises of the African continent, as well as issues that may be of concern to the provinces of the Alexandrian Church will be presented during the meeting by the metropolitans and bishops of the Alexandrian Church.
"Δεν υπάρχει "ξένος". Δεν υπάρχει "άλλος". Κόλαση είναι η ετερότητα του "άλλου". Το να κάνεις τον "άλλο" ξένο. Παράδεισος είναι το να είναι ο διπλανός σου αδελφός! Όποιος το ζει, ζει το Ευαγγέλιο. Όποιος δεν το ζει, αδικείται και αδικεί.
Giannis Antetokounmpo delivers an emotional speech after winning the
2019 MVP Award following a stellar 2019 performance that led the Bucks
to the NBA's best record.
Watch highlights from Inside the NBA with Shaq, Charles Barkley, Kenny
Smith and Ernie Johnson and more! (NBA on TNT)
Seven things to know about NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Nicknamed the "Greek Freak", the 24-year-old
Milwaukee Bucks player on Monday got 78 first-place votes, well ahead of
the 23 received by fellow MVP finalist James Harden of the Houston
Rockets.
"Two, three years ago, I had the goal in my head,
that goal [was] to be the best player in the league," a tearful
Antetokounmpo said at the packed awards ceremony in Santa Monica,
California.
"I'm going to do whatever it takes to win and I'm going to win MVP.
And every time I step on the floor, I think of my dad, and that
motivates me to play harder and move forward when my body is sore," he
said, referring to his late father whom he credits for his hard work
ethic.
Bucks General Manager John Horst said the recognition was the result of
the player's hard work and dedication as well as his "grace on and off
the court". Here are seven things to know about Antetokounmpo, the epitome of a rags-to-riches story.
1) He is of Nigerian descent
Antetokounmpo was born in Greece's capital, Athens, on December 6, 1994. His parents, Veronica and Charles Antetokounmpo, immigrated to Greece after leaving Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, in the early 1990s. Though proud of his Nigerian heritage, the 2.11-metre-tall player
opted to play for his native Greece and made his debut for the national
team in July 2013, at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. A year later, he joined the senior team and went on to represent Greece at the EuroBasket 2015.
Antetokounmpo beat out James Harden of the Houston Rockets to take the coveted title [Michael Dwyer/AP]
2) He took Greek citizenship aged 18
Greek immigration laws are such that the children of immigrants cannot apply for citizenship until they turn 18. Antetokounmpo's parents were undocumented migrants, which effectively
meant that he could claim legal status in neither Greece nor his
family's homeland, making him stateless. All that began to change when he took up basketball at age 12. By the
time he turned 16, it became apparent to local and national scouts that
they were dealing with the country's next sports phenomenon. "A dream came true. We are now officially Greek citizens, as we felt
all these years," an elated Antetokounmpo said upon his naturalisation
in 2013.
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) June 25, 2019
3) First Greek to win MVP
Antetokounmpo is the first Greek national to take the coveted honour. He was also the first Greek player to be selected for an NBA All-Star
Game in 2017, garnering 1.6 million votes and coming in third after NBA
superstars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, respectively. In January 2018, Antetokounmpo earned a starting position in the NBA All-Star Game for the second year in a row. Antetokounmpo was again selected as starter in 2019 and became team captain for the first time.
Antetokounmpo representing Greece in September 2015 [File: Darko Bandic/AP Photo]
4) He didn't have it easy
His MVP win on Monday capped Antetokounmpo's astounding rise to the
top of the game. The NBA's best top player grew up in a tough
neighbourhood of Athens, sharing a tiny flat with the other members of
his poor family. His immigrant parents found it difficult to secure steady jobs and getting by was a daily struggle. In fact, only a few years before he was selected by the Bucks as the
15th pick of 2013 NBA draft, the "Greek Freak" and his brother,
Thanasis, could be seen in the streets of Athens hawking various
products such as watches, hats and DVDs to help their family make ends
meet. "It was tough. We didn't have a lot of money. But we had a lot of
happiness. So we wasn't broke happiness-wise. When we were struggling
back in the day, we were all together in one room, same room. We were
having fun. We were smiling," he told 60 Minutes last year.
5) His nickname isn't an insult
His versatility is what earned him his nickname. Whether it's supporters, sports commentators or journalists,
Antetokounmpo's ability to be - or appear to be - everywhere in the
court at all-time didn't go unnoticed. Being able to play every position
- from point guard to centre - he has been consistently leading the
Bucks in points, rebounds and assist. Indeed, despite averaging 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game,
Antetokounmpo was also finalist for defensive player of the year, which
he ultimately lost out to Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert. Scoring-wise, his career-high so far was recorded in a match against
the Philadelphia 76ers in March, logging a staggering 52 points. Six years after making his NBA debut, Antetokounmpo in May led the
Bucks to the Eastern Conference finals, which they lost to subsequent
champions Toronto Raptors.
6) There's (potentially) more like him
Antetokounmpo isn't the only one in the family to have taken up the sport. His older brother, 26-year-old Thanasis Antetokounmpo, 26, plays for Greek champions, Panathinaikos, while Kostas, 21, made his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks in March. Their youngest brother, Alexandros, whom Giannis has described as
possibly the best among them, also looks set to follow in the elder Antetokounmpos' footsteps. The eldest of the boys, 31-year-old Francis, is the only of the Antetokounmpo brothers to have been born in Nigeria. "I want to thank my amazing brothers," Antetokounmpo said during his
MVP-acceptance speech, tears running down his face. "I love you guys."
7) Speaking up against racism
In late 2018, Antetokounpo didn't hesitate to hit back after a presenter of a Greek TV show used a racial slur to describe his older brother, Thanasis. He took to Instagram to denounce the incident and reiterate his pride in being a Greek-Nigerian. "My brothers and I are Greek-Nigerian." he wrote. "If anybody doesn't like it, that's their problem."
‘The Greek Freak’ wants to go back to his Nigerian roots
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo opens up about his African upbringing
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he is not just “The Greek Freak.” Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images
By Marc J. Spears@MarcJSpearsESPN “The Greek Freak” can’t wait to go learn more about his roots. His roots in Lagos, Nigeria. “Obviously, a lot of people don’t know where I’m from,” Milwaukee
Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo told The Undefeated. “A lot of
people think my mom or my dad are from Greece, but no. Both of my
parents are black. Both of my parents are Nigerian.” Charles and Veronica Adetokunbo moved from Lagos to Greece in 1991 in
hopes of a better future for themselves and their family after
struggling to find employment. The Adetokunbos’ eldest son, Francis, was
left behind in Lagos to be raised by his grandparents. Charles
Adetokunbo worked as a handyman and wife Veronica as a baby sitter in
their struggle to make ends meet for their family, which was the only
black one in the area, according to The New York Times. The
Adetokunbos had four more sons, all born in Greece, including Giannis on
Dec. 6, 1994. (Antetokounmpo became Giannis’ surname after it was
spelled that way on his Greek passport instead of his birth name of
Adetokunbo.) Antetokounmpo grew up in Greek culture learning the
language, going to school and eventually starting to play basketball at
age 7. But when he was home with his family, he learned and lived the
Nigerian way. “I grew up in a Nigerian home,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, I was
born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the end of the day
when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian
culture. It’s about discipline, it’s about respecting your elders,
having morals.” Veronica Adetokunbo spoke to her sons in the Nigerian language of
Igbo, which is one of the four official Nigerian languages and is spoken
by about 18 million people in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, according
to several websites. “I can understand it a little bit. I can count. It’s not like I’m
fluent,” Antetokounmpo said of Igbo. “It’s not like I can go back home
to Nigeria and they can understand what I am saying. It’s kind of funny. “Both my parents are from Nigeria. But Nigeria is like 250 dialects, so my mom and my dad don’t speak the same language.” Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, who is arguably the greatest
international basketball player of all time and one of the greatest NBA
players, also has a Nigerian connection with Antetokounmpo. Olajuwon told The Undefeated that he and Antetokounmpo are Yoruba. “I know from his last name that we are from the same tribe, the
Yoruba tribe. His last name, which in Yoruba is spelled Adetokunbo,
means ‘the crown has returned from overseas,’ ” Olajuwon said. With the Bucks owning the best record in the NBA, Antetokounmpo
appears to be the front-runner for the 2019 NBA MVP award, competing
against the likes of the Houston Rockets’ James Harden, the Oklahoma
City Thunder’s Paul George and the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry
and Kevin Durant. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.1 points, 12.6 rebounds
and six assists and led the Eastern Conference in All-Star votes. “I’m sure Nigerians are very proud of him, especially because of the
way he has conducted himself and how he is dominating the league,”
Olajuwon said. “He has accomplished a great deal in such a short period
of time.” Giannis Antetokounmpo visited South Africa as part of Basketball Without Borders in 2015.
Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
Antetokounmpo wasn’t projected to be a superstar when he was selected
15th overall in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft by the Bucks. But
former Warriors center Festus Ezeli, also a native of Nigeria, believed
Antetokounmpo would be special after seeing him score a game-high 22
points for Team Africa in the first Africa Game in Johannesburg, on Aug.
1, 2015. The exhibition was Antetokounmpo’s first trip to Africa. “Oh, my God, he took over for Team Africa in South Africa,” Ezeli
said. “We were talking about it on the bench, ‘This kid right here. …’ I
was thinking, ‘Yo, this kid is really special.’ Just the ease of how he
did things and the way he was getting to the cup, the athleticism was
there. And in a friendly game in Africa, the competitiveness and edge
were there.” Olajuwon also spent time with Antetokounmpo on the trip and said he enjoyed meeting his family. “It is always good to trace back your roots,” Olajuwon said. Antetokounmpo hasn’t traced his roots in person yet but says he hopes
to visit Nigeria either this summer or next summer. He said he nearly
went to Nigeria last summer, but “my mom said, ‘No, don’t go, because
everyone is going to be on top of you.’ ” Sadly, his father died at the age of 54 after a heart attack in 2017. “I want to see where my family comes from, where my mom was raised,
see my family, see where my dad was raised. That is very important. I
hope my kids can do the same thing for me,” Antetokounmpo said.
“Obviously, I am going to have kids that are going to grow up in the
U.S., but one day I hope they can go back [to Greece] and visit and see
where I grew up, the playground I was playing.” Antetokounmpo said he also got his Nigerian passport in 2015. When asked why he acquired a Nigerian passport, Antetokounmpo
answered, “It’s important. It’s part of who I am. Both of my parents are
Nigerian. They wanted me to get it. I wanted to have it, so I got it.” “The Greek Freak” said during the recent NBA All-Star Weekend that he
loves his nickname and it’s “a part of who I am right now.” But he also
told The Undefeated that he is much more than just “The Greek Freak” by
strongly stating he is also a proud African. “There are a lot of people that I see and I tell them that I am African. I am not just ‘The Greek Freak,’ ” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t matter what people may believe because of my nickname.
There were a lot of times when I was in Greece where people said,
‘You’re not Greek. You’re Nigerian because you’re black.’ But then there
have been a lot of times where it’s been the opposite, where people
say, ‘You’re not African. You’re Greek. You’re ‘The Greek Freak.’ ’ But I
don’t really care about that. Deep down, I know who I am and where I am
from. That’s all that matters to me.”
Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for The Undefeated. He used
to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in years and his
knees still hurt.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is an Orthodox Christian
Giannis Antetokounmpo, picked by NBA team Milwaukee Bucks, received by PM Samaras (2013)
Prime Minister of Greece Antonis Samaras, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family with the holy icon of Theotokos "Axion esti". Photo from here.
Prime Minister [of Greece] Antonis Samaras received international basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family at Maximos Mansion, government headquarters, on Tuesday in the presence of Culture Minister Panos Panagiotopoulos and Minister of Sports Yiannis Andrianos. Addressing the young basketball player,
selected a few days ago by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 15 pick in
the 2013 NBA Draft, the prime minister thanked him for honoring
Greece and underlined that he has become a role model for many, noting
that all Greeks have witnessed how much he struggled since he was a
child to help his siblings. The prime minister wished him
success saying characteristically, “I wish you to make America go
crazy over your slam dunks”. He thanked him for a cap the
young basketball player gave him as a present and told him that the
Greek people will be watching his career abroad. He thanked him for
holding the Greek flag with his brother when the draft results were
announced and presented him with the “Axion Esti” icon. Speaking to reporters afterward, Antetokounmpo said that the prime minister was “friendly” and a “basketball fan”.
“He knew about basketball. He is a very cool guy,” he said, adding
that after the prime minister thanked him in a very emotional moment,
he wanted to know about the school he attended and where he grew up
before wishing him health and a bright future. “He will
come to America to watch me play,” Antetokounmpo said, and referring
to his future in basketball he said that he has set many goals.
He displayed the icon the prime minister had given him as a gift
and said that his present to him was a cap with his signature. He also
said that he had spoken with the prime minister's son, who is “also a
basketball fan”.
Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo become godfathers
Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo become for the first time godfathers according to the Greek-Orthodox tradition [our note: no "Greek-Orthodox" but simply Orthodox].
The two elder Antetokounmpo brothers, Giannis and Thanasis, become godfathers of the young Nikolaos, the son of their close friend and Giannis’ agent Giorgos Panou. According to the Greek-Orthodox religion, godfather is the person who sponsors a child’s baptism and ”receives in his arms” the newly baptized infant. After the ceremony, the child becomes the godchild. It’s an experience that many Greeks have and the two brothers got it today for the first time.
The Orthodox Arusha church of “Evangelismos” lived on
Sunday one of the most majestic and dignified moments in its history.
It is a relatively small parish of a hundred local people coming from
Orthodox traditions.
It was a strong spiritual moment of unity in Christ,
common witness (martyria) and hope, as archpriests and priests from
almost all Orthodox WCC member churches celebrated the holy eucharist [photo from here & here].
The serious orthodox missionary work that started in Tanzania with
Archbishop of Albania Anastasios is continued today from the Orthodox
Metropolitan of Arusha Agathonikos and several priests.
“We are here to teach – only in sacrifice - love and
truth by example, we are here to support organically those in need. In
Africa we are truly carrying the cross of mission and there is no easy
path to follow”, Agathonikos said.
The church was founded in 1953 and is delivering
important work in the field of education, by operating at the same space
the “Saint Constantine International School”. Students from several
African communities and others coming from several orthodox countries
are following a very high-level international curriculum that equips
them with important assets for their future. A place of giving and
promise for a better future in Tanzania based in knowledge and faith.
Greeting by Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa to the International Congress on Mission and Evangelism, of the World Council of Churches, on the topic: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25) (8 –13 March, Arusha Tanzania) Orthodox Archbiscopic of Zimbabwe & Angola
Dear Delegates,
On the occasion of the deliberations of the World Conference on Mission
and Evangelism of the WCC on the African Continent, from the See of the
venerable Ancient Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All
Africa, the Great City of Alexandria, we greet the delegates coming from
all countries in the world, from the five Continents and pray with you,
with God’s help, for the success of the issues to be addressed by the
Congress, for a better future for the Global Community, with the
contribution of Christians, for the peaceful coexistence of Peoples and
social well-being. The contribution of the World Congress on
Mission, which began in 1910, was the first important step to bring to
maturity the initiative of our Churches, after the great tragedies
experienced by Humanity with the two World Wars, to establish the WCC in
the same year that the UN was organized, in 1948, for the protection of
Global Security and the peaceful solution of complex problems through
dialogue. As rightly emphasized by my Predecessor of the Presidents
of the WCC, the late Patriarch Parthenios of Alexandria, "The proponents
of the Ecumenical Movement, as genuine disciples of Christ, realized
their responsibilities for the unity of Christianity and the
strengthening of the visible unity of the Church". The deliberations of
the World Congress on Mission and Evangelism, which took place for the
first time 60 years ago in Ghana in Africa, were also based on this
framework. We especially congratulate the Members of the Mission
and Evangelism Commission, the Members of the WCC and the Central
Committee, on the subject and the preparation of this important
congress, which, as we know, will move in four directions. Α. The
ministry and Theology of Mission today and its role in the unity of
Christians, the re-evangelization of those who are called Christians but
whose works are far removed from the works of Jesus Christ and His
Disciples, as well as the evangelization of People who have not yet had
the opportunity of hearing the Word of Christ. Β. The Ecumenical
Dimension of the Conference on the Role of Mission and Evangelization,
to strengthen the visible unity and cooperation of the Churches to
address the problems currently threatening the cause of world peace and
the prosperity of the People. All Christians must reflect on the role of
mission, reconciliation, social justice, eradication of poverty, equal
opportunities for education, health and nutrition for the needy and
orphaned children, as well as the priority of a dialogue of love and
understanding of mutual respect and tolerance for dealing with, and
preventing, ongoing war and violent conflicts. C. This important
conference, being held in Africa, is an opportunity for the voice of the
African continent to be heard, not only to highlight the problems that
the African People are currently facing, but also to realize the reasons
that cause them, so that the social injustices we are currently
experiencing on our Planet against millions of defenseless children,
particularly in Africa, are eliminated. D. It is important that
among the participating delegates at this Congress, our young people
have a special presence and, for the first time, a remarkable initiative
of organizing a Theological Seminar, for a hundred new theologians from
all Continents, in order to staff our Ecclesiastical Schools, for
Christian education.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matthew 25: 34-36, from the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (the 3rd Sunday of Triodion in the Orthodox Church - see here). The icon from In Communion (page in Facebook).
On the occasion of my communication with you,
allow me to turn your attention to the responsibilities of Christians
for the problem of Immigrants and Refugees, which is today a top problem
in the world we live in, and we should all, through our missionary
ministry, give priority to it, not just as a Christian duty, but as the
self-evident moral responsibility of every person. I am glad that, as
the representative of our Patriarchate and us, has informed me, His
Eminence Seraphim Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, a member of the WCC Central
and Executive Committee, this issue will have a central role in the
deliberations of your Congress. I would therefore like to emphasize that
for every Christian who wishes to experience the theme of your
conference, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”
(Gal. 5:25), we should, with the virtue of discrimination, to view every
immigrant and every refugee, as a blessing from God. Christian
teaching shows a particular sensitivity towards the migrant and the
refugee, Besides, its founder, our Lord Jesus Christ, begins His earthly
life as a refugee when the holy Family flees to Egypt to be saved from
the threat of Herod (Matthew 2:13-15) and continues His earthly
activity, as an immigrant, having nowhere to lay His head. For this
reason, the respect of the human person, the recognition of Christ
Himself in the refugee and the migrant, and therefore the rejection of
any form of conduct that offends, degrades, harms or threatens the
refugee and the immigrant, who is made in the image of God, becomes a
question of the authenticity of his faith and the attestation of his
proper path in the steps of Christ, the Apostles and the Fathers of the
Church. So who is the "other", the immigrant, the refugee, the "stranger" for the Church? The "other", the immigrant, the refugee, the "stranger," is my brother/sister.
Therefore, since he is my brother, then there must be no opposition and
quarrel, not even in the area of intellect: “Do not hate your brother
in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17). And not only do not hate, but do not
even cultivate the lie at the expense of your brother. On the contrary,
you should open your hand and help him: ‘You shall open wide your hand
to your brother, to the needy and to the poor” (Deuteronomy 15:11). The
"other", the immigrant and the refugee, the "stranger," are Christ
Himself. In the face of "the other", the "stranger" I meet Christ
Himself. The "other" is my salvation, and my entry into the Kingdom of
Heaven depends on the relationship I have with him. Christ places
Himself in the face of "the other", the "stranger," of my fellow man.
The Lord taught us that the only criterion for every believer to be
next to Him, in His Church, is Love. In particular, he taught us that,
as Christians, we must feel the need to give unlimited love to our
neighbor, especially the suffering, especially the refugee and the
immigrant, the "stranger", whom we are called to "draw in" and care for.
Our philanthropic care towards refugees and immigrants must be one of
the most important tasks of the Christian because it is motivated by
love for the neighbour. But what is the meaning of “neighbour”?
Neighbour “according to Christian teaching is not only one who is
locally or socially close, a relative, a compatriot, of the same faith
and religion (…). A neighbor is not identified by external elements but
is created with love and served with contribution and sacrifice. Christ
came to the world as Messiah, in other words as Saviour and intercessor
between God and man. And he accomplishes this work by approaching
mankind as a neighbour. He appears as one who is hungry, thirsty, a
stranger, naked, ill, imprisoned, one who needs help, hospitality and
support. It is up to mankind to accept to respond to His coming. And if
mankind offers Christ food, drink, a home, help, then Christ Himself
will become for us food, drink, a home, help and eternal life. On the
face of our neighbor is Christ Himself. That is why any offer to the
neighbor is ultimately an offer to Christ, just as any refusal to offer
to the neighbor is a refusal to offer to Christ. The real life of
mankind lies in the face of his neighbour". Let us come now, to the
Africa of today, an area within our jurisdiction. The African man is the
stranger of our time, an immigrant because of poverty, drought and
disease and a refugee due to the ongoing warfare and terrorist
phenomena. He is the man whom our Lord Jesus Christ describes. The
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, through its presence
throughout the African continent, is far from intolerance, chauvinism
and propaganda. Its basic aim is to unite all in multiformity and
diversity, cultivating respect for the human person, harmonizing the
polar oppositions of societies and peoples, "in the bond of peace", and
by basing the love of Christ "who is the bond of perfection".
Today,
Europe is shudders and balks at the wave of refugees and immigration,
but the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria is experiencing this
everyday on the vast African continent, where warfare, civil conflicts
and biblical natural disasters create waves of impoverished refugees and
immigrants. This terrible need is experienced by tens of thousands
of our African brothers in Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Burundi,
Congo, South Sudan and many other regions. Homeless and persecuted,
refugees and migrants in their own country. Seeing these souls of God,
the thousands of children who look at you with their great tearful and
frightened eyes, we see the need for Church involvement in addressing
and solving social problems. And this is natural, because the purpose of
the Church is not to remain on the outskirts of life, but to approach
man in all aspects and manifestations of his life. Only in this way
does he minister according to the example of Christ, who did not come to
serve, but to serve and offer his life "as a ransom for many" (Matthew
20:28, Mark 10:45). The purpose of Mission is the salvation of all
people in Christ. At the same time, Mission cannot be indifferent to its
contribution, to the extent that it is able to, in addressing the
social problems of our fellow human beings. We must as Christians take
care of solving the problems created by the current way of organizing
and operating economic, political and social life. Exploitation, social
injustice, violence, tyranny, unemployment, war, terrorism, migration,
racism, environmental pollution, etc. are essential social problems that
are naturally of concern to the faithful. And the interest in them
remains mute, unless it is founded on man as a person "in the image of
God" Therefore, As Christians, we must accept the stranger and the immigrant as a blessing and a gift from God. To acknowledge that we are all made in God's image and have the same human rights for life, work, freedom.
To support the pain and sorrow of the victims of discrimination and to
pray that Churches will welcome people of every race, color and
nationality.
With prayers and love in Christ Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa
Note of our blog For our brethren from the World Council of Churches, with love in Christ the posts:
