By Efi Efthimiou
Participants of the conference, which was co-organized by the Church of Greece and the World Council of Churches in Athens, visited Synyparxis, the Church of Greece’s hospitality center located on Vouliagmenis Avenue.
Metropolitan Athenagoras of Ilion and the center’s general director, Father Panteleimon Papasynefakis, were present.
In a brief speech, Fr. Panteleimon welcomed the World Council of Churches delegates and emphasized the importance of the Church of Greece’s work through Synyparxis.
He pointed out that Synypárxis serves as a living example of how the Christian faith can bring people from diverse backgrounds together to work collectively with love and care for their fellow human beings.
“We are happy to welcome you here. Our mission at Synyparxis is to protect human dignity. Synyparxis has always maintained close ties with the World Council of Churches. Dr. Papantoniou initiated the establishment of the center in the late 1970s. We are guided by Christ’s words, “I was a stranger and you took me in.” For us, every person deserves protection and dignity.”
Father Panteleimon also stressed that, just as the world changes, so does the operation of the center. “We want to help society and support people who have lost everything and want to make a fresh start. Our goal is to help people rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient.
Not as outsiders, but as members of the whole.” For us, coexistence means interaction between those who arrive and those who care for them.”
He noted that, over the past decade, the Church of Greece, through Synyparxis, has supported thousands of refugees and asylum seekers. “We have long-standing experience and expertise in providing financial assistance. Hundreds of refugees have had the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones through our program.”
From the beginning, the Church of Greece has been particularly concerned about unaccompanied minors arriving in the country after crossing the border. In 2020, the church established the Compass program to address this issue. The program comprises five centers in Attica and Northern Greece.
“We didn’t just give them a place to stay. We provided psychological support, assistance, education, and, above all, a sense of belonging,” said Fr. Panteleimon.
He added that the mission is to support not only young people arriving in Greece, but also to promote and strengthen dialogue with local parishes, which are deeply rooted in society.
“At the heart of the Compass program is the protection of children who have suffered, experienced displacement, endured long periods of uncertainty, and suffered deep psychological trauma from abandonment. Providing these children with psychological support is central to our mission,” he said.
The centers were created with the mindset of how they could best serve people arriving after long, difficult journeys. “I sat down with my colleagues and asked, ‘If we were refugees, what would we want a center like this to be like?'” Father Panteleimon remarked.
Afterwards, participants of the Church of Greece and the World Council of Churches Conference were guided to the child hospitality center in central Athens. There, they had the opportunity to see the facilities in action, learn where the unaccompanied minors live, and speak with the children.
Staff also briefed participants on each team member’s responsibilities, the challenges they face, how many employees there are, their fields of work, and how many children the facility can accommodate.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
