The Committee of the Repatriation Center for Repatriated and Migrants – Ecumenical Refugee Program met today at the initiative of Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, in light of the increasing flow of refugees and immigrants to Greece.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Citizen Protection, M. Chrisochoidis and the Deputy Minister, G. Koumoutsakos, as well as the Metropolitan of Samos, the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, Archim. Filotheos Theocharis, and the Director of the Central Financial Services of the Church of Greece, Archimandrite Nicodemos Farmakis.
During the meeting, the Archbishop emphasized that the Church, following the evangelical exhortation to help the brother and sister in need, regardless of colour, religion or origin, is ready to contribute and help the Greek State.
Proposals were also submitted by the Metropolitans Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnes and Petroupolis, Gabriel of N. Ionia and Philadelphia, and Timotheos of Thessaliotis and Fanariofersala, as well as by the Director of the Central Financial Services of the Church of Greece and Archimandrite Panteleimon Papasynefakis.
The main focus of the discussion and the main concern of the Church was to uphold the high standards of implementation of the programs put into effect by the Church which have made her the most reliable implementer at a European level.
For this reason, the Church considers it essential to participate in all stages of the implementation of the programs it will undertake, i.e. hospitality-education-employment-social inclusion. Priority is also given to unaccompanied minors and refugee families.
