On Saturday, October 21, the work of the 1st Bioethics Conference of the Ecumenical Patriarchate continued, which began with a short prayer, by the President of the Synodal Committee, Archbishop Makarios of Australia. Archbishop Eugenios of Crete, Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, Grand Hierarch Panaretos, Emmanuel Chnaris, MP of Rethymno, Archon Exarch Stavros Arnaoutakis, the Regional Governor of Crete, many academics, clergy, members of monastic brotherhoods and people from the local community and beyond were also present.
The first session was entitled “Bioethical challenges of the applications of modern medicine” and was chaired by Metropolitan Kirill of Ierapytna and Sitia. Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, Chairman of the Special Synodal Committee on Bioethics of the Church of Greece, Protopresbyter Vasileios Kalliakmanis, Professor of the Theological School of Thessaloniki, and Professor Petros Panagiotopoulos, Professor at the same School, delivered speeches during the first session. Afterwards, the second session was entitled “Dialogue and Bioethics” and was chaired by Metropolitan Gerasimos of Petra and Cheronissos. Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand, George Olofson, Archon Teacher of the Nation, Konstantinos Delikostantis, Professor Emeritus of the Theological School of Athens, and Konstantinos Kornarakis, Professor of the same School delivered speeches.
Following the luncheon held at the Monastery of Timios Prodromos, the third session entitled “Bioethical dilemmas of the pandemic” followed and was chaired by Professor Konstantinos Spanoudakis, Vice-Rector of the University of Crete. Archon Protoskritis Sotirios Tsiodras, Professor of the Medical School of Athens, Evangelos Protopapadakis, Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy at the same University, and Archimandrite Philotheos Maroudas, Doctor of Theology delivered speeches. Finally, the fourth session entitled “The dimensions of relieving care in Bioethics” was chaired by Archon Ieromnymon Dr. Konstantinos Zorbas, General Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete. Presbyter Vasileios Raduca, Professor of the Theological School of Bucharest, Fereniki Panagopoulou-Koutnatzi, Professor of the Panteion University – Social and Political Sciences, and Miltiadis Vantsos, Professor of the Theological School of Thessalonikiv delivered speeches.
Finally, following the proposal of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the delegates unanimously decided to send a letter of respect and congratulations to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of his election as Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch.