Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew today, Thursday, September 12, declared in Halki in Princes’ Islands the opening of the Conference proceedings co-organized by the School of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Halki Seminary, on: “The Problem of Ethnoracism in the Orthodox Church: From the Bulgarian Schism to the Present.”
The Conference is held in the framework of the collaboration of the School of Theology and the Halki Seminary, and was welcomed and praised by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch cited the position of the Metropolitan Elder of Pergamos, who stated: “The greatest danger to the unity of the Orthodox Church today is ethnoracism.”
Elsewhere in his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized: “The authentic Orthodox faith and tradition cannot be a source of nationalistic tendencies. When ethnocentrism appeared and appears in the context of Orthodoxy, it had and still has foreign roots.”
Concluding his speech, he blessed the delegates and wished every success in the proceedings of the Conference, congratulating the Rectorate of the Aristotle University and the School of Theology for the organization.
Previously the proceedings of the Conference were welcomed by the Abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Halki, where the Seminary is located, Bishop Kyrillos of Erythres, the new Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Prof. Nikolaos Papaioannou, in a message he sent, the Dean of the School of Theology of the AUTh. Prof. Theodoros Giagou, and the Head of the School of Theology of the AUTh. Prof. Panagiotis Skaltsis.
The Metropolitans Elder Apostolos of Derkoi and Chrysostomos of Myra, President and Treasurer of the Halki Theological School respectively, Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus, clergy, university professors and students of the School of Theology of the Aristotle University attended the opening.
The proceedings of the Conference will be completed tomorrow, Friday, September 13.
