On Thursday 30th October, thanks to the generous hospitality of the Father Hegumen and community of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, Essex, hierarchs and clergy from the different Eastern Christian communities in the United Kingdom gathered at the Monastery for a warm and informal gathering.
After words of welcome by Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain and the Very Revd. Hegumen of the Monastery, Archimandrite Peter, the bishops and clergy of the different communities discussed issues of shared interest and concern.
Archbishop Nikitas highlighted the fact that between 2.5 and 3 million people of Eastern Christian backgrounds live in the United Kingdom… Archbishop Nikitas identified several points on which our communities can work together in the life of the nation. Without blurring of canonical or credal boundaries between the communions, Archbishop Nikitas emphasised that our voices are stronger when they are raised together.
The initial discussion was followed by an inspiring address from Archimandrite Peter about the life and teachings of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos and his disciple, Saint Sophrony, the Founder of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, and by a tour of the Monastery. To this, Archimandrite Zacharias contributed reminiscences and reflections from the life of Saint Sophrony and the history of the Monastery. The tour was followed by discussions within each of the different communions, ending with a delightful lunch altogether with the monastic community in the refectory.
Among the hierarchs attending from the Eastern Orthodox Church were Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and, from the Patriarchate of Antioch, Metropolitan Silouan, Archbishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland, who was accompanied by The Revd. Dr. Boniface Carroll. From the Patriarchate of Romania, Archbishop Atanasie, Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was represented by the Revd. Hieromonk Dionisie Stan, Secretary to the Archbishop. Representing Metropolitan Antoniy, Bulgarian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Diocese of Western and Central Europe in the Patriarchate of All Bulgaria, was the Very Revd. Archpriest Dr. Dobromir Dimitrov. The Very Revd. Fr. George Trapaidze, Dean of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Ireland, represented Andrew, Patriarchal Delegate for the Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland in the Patriarchate of Georgia.
Archbishop Angaelos, Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the United Kingdom, represented the Coptic Church. Bishop Hovakim, Bishop Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland, represented the Armenian Apostolic Church, and was accompanied by the Revd. Fr. Shnork Bagdassarian.
From the Eastern Catholic Churches Sui Juris, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski OBE, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, was accompanied by The Very Revd. Mitred Archpriest Mykola Matwijiwskij.
From the Assyrian Church of the East, the Revd. Fr. Tony Malham represented Mar Awraham Youkhanis, Bishop of the Diocese of Western Europe.
Archbishop Nikitas was accompanied by The Revd. Fr. Pavlos Lambrou and Secretary for External Relations Mr. John Shinkwin.
Archbishop Nikitas and his fellow hierarchs and clergy expressed their warmest thanks to the Father Hegumen and community of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, Essex, for the generous hospitality and warm welcome which they showed to all.
