Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon paid a visit to Lithuania at the official invitation of Mr. Juozas Olekas, Speaker of the Seimas (the country’s Parliament), to participate in and deliver the keynote address, on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, at the International Conference entitled “Constantinople and Moscow: Transformations of Ecclesiastical Allegiance and the Impact of Imperial Policy.” The conference was organized on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Metropolitan conveyed to the organizers and participants the greetings of the Ecumenical Patriarch and subsequently delivered his address on the theme: “The Ecclesiastical and Canonical Meaning of Jurisdictional Changes,” before a distinguished audience of Hierarchs, academics, and scholars from various countries who took part in the international gathering and engaged in substantive dialogue.
“The Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” Metropolitan Elder Emmanuel of Chalcedon emphasized among other points in his address, “is now an undeniable and fully living reality. Despite any institutional or structural imperfections, which inevitably accompany every human endeavor, we are speaking of a large community of faithful who earnestly seek their path toward freedom in Christ, an authentic truth that must be acknowledged with sincerity. At the same time, the gaze of our ecclesial hope also turns toward the painful rift between Constantinople and Moscow. Notwithstanding the historical weight and the seriousness of its canonical consequences, the very long history of the Church teaches us that even the deepest and most grievous wounds are capable, in time, of being led to complete and definitive healing. The coming of the Kingdom of God dynamically transcends all geographical limitations and historically established jurisdictional territorial divisions. It is revealed and manifested as an experiential, living presence precisely where sacrificial love transforms the ‘other’, from stranger or rival, into a true brother. Institutions and sacred canons are called to function as humble servants of this very charismatic life.”
Within the framework of the Conference, participants also attended the official opening of the exhibition “Religion and War,” prepared by the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, which presents the instrumentalization of religion in various wars around the world, including the ongoing war in Ukraine.
On 24 February, marking four years since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the Metropolitan presided over a memorial service for the repose of the souls of the war victims. The sacred clergy of the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania also participated in the service, and the Elder of Chalcedon held a private meeting with them at the headquarters of the Exarchate.
During his stay in Lithuania, Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon held a cordial meeting with the Prime Minister of the country, Ms. Inga Ruginienė. He also met with the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Juozas Olekas, as well as with Bishop Mindaugas Sabutis, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania, and other officials.
Translation: Ioanna Georgakopoulou
Photos: Holy Metropolis of Chalcedon
