On the afternoon of Monday, 28 September 2026, the second lecture of the current academic year in the “Orthodox Word” lecture series took place at the Ambiorix Orthodox Center of the Holy Metropolis of Belgium in Brussels.
The invited speaker was Archimandrite Dr. Ephraim Triantafyllopoulos of the Ecumenical Throne, Protosyncellus of the Holy Metropolis of Phthiotis.
Fr. Ephraim was invited by Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, to give a series of talks in parishes of the Metropolis. His tour began at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Rotterdam and continued at the Parish of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Antwerp, then in Brussels, and finally at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Luxembourg.
The Brussels lecture was delivered in French and was titled “The Benefits of Confession” (“Les bienfaits de la Confession”). The discussion was moderated by Archimandrite Philadelphos Kafalis, Protosyncellus of the Holy Metropolis of Belgium.
Those present at the event included Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, Bishop Dositheos of the Patriarchate of Georgia, and Bishop Joachim of Apollonias, Auxiliary Bishop of the Holy Metropolis of Belgium, as well as priests and a large number of faithful.
In his lecture, Fr. Ephraim explored the meaning of the holy mystery of Repentance and Confession. He stressed that Confession is not merely a moral obligation but the healing of soul and body by Christ, the great Physician and Savior. Through it, forgiveness of sins is granted, and the believer is enabled to return to the right path toward union with God.
Confession is an act of freedom and a journey toward the light. It is performed by a cleric who has received the grace of the Holy Spirit and has been appointed by the Church for this particular ministry. The priest is present not as a judge of the person, but as a spiritual father and intercessor in the person’s relationship with God, within the community of the Church.
It was also pointed out that Confession is neither an end in itself nor a form of psychoanalysis. It is a means that reveals that God’s mercy and love are greater than any human sin, however grave. Through repentance, the relationship between the person and God, and between the person and their fellow human beings, is restored, and the way is opened to fuller union with Christ through the mystery of the Divine Eucharist.
The forgiveness offered through the grace of the Holy Spirit does not mean that a person automatically ceases to sin. On the contrary, it marks the beginning of a new spiritual struggle for correction and change of life. The goal is not human perfection achieved by our own strength alone, since this is attained through the grace of the Holy Spirit, but the cultivation of a sincere will to repent and return to God.
The theologically well-grounded presentation was followed by a constructive discussion and fruitful dialogue, with the participation of the priests and faithful present.
The discussion was concluded by Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, who made a few remarks on the subject and warmly thanked Fr. Ephraim for the effort of his journey and for his preaching ministry in the three countries of the Metropolis. He also thanked Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis for granting permission and his blessing for Fr. Ephraim’s visit, and expressed the hope that this first visit to the Metropolis of Belgium would be the beginning of further such meetings in the future.
