With multiple messages from Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens on the geopolitical and social situation both within and beyond Greece’s borders, the first day of the session of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece concluded.
In his address, Archbishop Ieronymos emphasized that the world is facing an “extremely critical and painful geopolitical situation in our region,” also making reference to the issue concerning the Monastery of Sinai.
Regarding domestic matters, the Archbishop noted that Greece continues to face challenges whose essence, he said, “is different from the superficial phenomena, it is spiritual; it is a crisis of active faith and values, directly linked to secularization and its principles.”
He went on to state that the root causes of the problems both in Greece and internationally lie in “the forgetfulness of God, the absence of knowledge of God, not an ideological but an experiential and participatory knowledge, which, if it existed, would at least lead to a basic discernment, allowing us to understand what man’s true problem is and what is false and illusory.”
The Archbishop further stressed the vital importance, for both the Church and society, of having capable and well-trained clergy, equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the needs of ecclesiastical ministry today. He called on the hierarchs to support three major pillars concerning the future of the Church: The priestly family, the Schools of Training for Clergy Candidates (SMYK), and the lifelong education of clergy.
Following the Archbishop’s address, a Press Committee was formed, consisting of Metropolitans Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, Panteleimon of Maroneia and Komotini, and Timotheos of Thessaliotida and Fanarion-Farsala.
