The Role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe

Your All Holiness,

The members of our group wish to thank Υour All Holiness for making this meeting possible, for the honor we all received by your gracious invitation, the warm hospitality of the Mother Church, and the opportunity to reflect on “The Role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe.”

1. During the last decades, Europe has been facing radically new challenges and profound changes. Without totally abandoning the classic, secular model, European societies have become “post-secular,” to the extent that religion has dynamically claimed its return to the public sphere. Thus, in policy making, representatives of secularism are now urged to take into account the sensibilities of religious communities. At the same time, these communities are expected, in their turn, to respect the neutrality of the public domain, human rights, scientific knowledge, as well as to carry out interreligious dialogue.[1]

In this context the term “pluralism” is vital. We note that this term is used by its advocates as a reference to the culturally diverse composition of these societies. It is also used by its critics primarily to denominate the fixation on the right to difference and the continuous decrease in consensus on common ethical values, the meaning of marriage and the family, gender identity, abortion, euthanasia, etc. Currently, therefore, the West is not simply experiencing a simple depreciation of values, but rather a cancelation of those values that seemingly do not guarantee the rights of the individual.

This, in brief, is the wider socio-cultural context of Europe in which Orthodox Christians find themselves. For the majority of Orthodox faithful today, Europe is considered to be the space in which the values of freedom and human rights allow them to freely think and act. Others succumb to a form of “moral panic” and promote the demonization of this new European context (phenomena that we feel should be avoided). Thus, on the eve of the Holy and Great Synod, modern ethical and anthropological dilemmas operate as “church dividing issues,” even within Orthodoxy, and not as opportunities for a fruitful exchange and cooperation. In this regard, the Orthodox Church cannot continue to ignore the experience of its believers, the influence of the surrounding culture, the challenges of the present time, and the positive prospects of each era. It is precisely in this context, as in every context and each era, that the Church is called to preach the Gospel of salvation, and to “incarnate” the Christian truth concerning God, the world and the human person, again and again. No ecclesial theology is possible if it ignores the specific historical challenges, the experience of the believers, and the influence of the surrounding culture. As His Eminence, the Senior Metropolitan of Pergamon John (Zizioulas) recently stated, “The agenda of theology is set by history. This was known to the Fathers of the Church who were in constant dialogue with their time.”[2]

The Church need not identify itself with previous models of relationship with the world and culture but should be ready to eschatologically assume the new socio-cultural realities of our day and try to transform them by the renovating breath of the Spirit. Today, for example, the question of human rights, which is at the core of modern Western culture, constitutes one of the great challenges of Religion, including the Orthodox Church and Theology. While it is seemingly difficult for the Orthodox to subscribe to every demand formulated through the language of human rights or to the self-description and organizational structures of high profile groups advocating human rights or appealing to human rights, the encounter with the language of human rights challenges Orthodoxy to highlight its humanitarian and philanthropic assumptions, to witness the faith of the Fathers, as well as to clarify, deepen, and update its spiritual heritage.

2. In order to accomplish this goal, the Ecumenical Patriarchate needs well educated theologians, conscious of the importance and riches of the Orthodox spiritual and Patristic tradition, and at the same time aware of the new and complex challenges and questions posed by the modern world. Theologians familiarized with the current European context will be able to combine the Orthodox spiritual experience with the interests of secular concerns, the ascetic and Eucharistic ethos and the culture of personhood with the openness to the modern person and his or her problems. We, thus, underline the urgency of solid and up to date theological education, provided by high-ranking theological institutions.

Of late, a proliferation of theological institutes, university departments, and chairs of Orthodox theology have been founded and still witness to the Orthodox tradition throughout Europe, such as the Institut de théologie orthodoxe Saint-Serge, in Paris, the Institut d’études supérieures en théologie orthodoxe, in Chambésy, Geneva, the Department of Orthodox Theology at the University of Munich, the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, the Orthodox Post-graduate Studies Program at the University of Winchester, U.K., the Chair of Orthodox Theology in Münster, etc. Yet, the purpose of this multiplication and the priorities and orientations of these institutes and centers are not always clear. How many Orthodox theological centers, for instance, can the relatively small Orthodox dioceses and communities in Western Europe afford? How are these centers connected with the globally oriented theological institutions and how do they contribute to the international theological debate and discussion? What is their position regarding the question of language? Do they make use of the local languages of the countries in which the Orthodox centers are located? Should they support the generalized use of English in order to comply with the increasing tendency towards internationalization and the deepening of their ecumenical character, aiming thus at attracting an array of international students? What kind of theology should these centers teach, and what are the criteria for the selection of their professors?

Some participants expressed the wish for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to assure more visibility in the European academic landscape by the establishment of an Orthodox English-speaking European University in the heart of Europe. However, the consensus among the members of the group was that, for the time being, priority should be given to the need for supporting and developing extant institutions and chairs of Orthodox Theology in Europe, especially the Institut d’études supérieures en théologie orthodoxe, in Chambésy, Geneva, which may consider making a shift from an exclusively French-speaking to a mainly English-speaking program, offering at the same time some classes in French and/or German. Finding ways to sustain and support bodies such as the Patriarchal Institute of Patristic Studies in Thessaloniki and the Orthodox Academy of Crete was also stressed. Finally, the theological work of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, and its international network, was described as a model that could inspire and guide the foundation of similar institutions in Europe, especially in the countries with important Orthodox communities including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The above initiatives can indeed foster the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in various European countries.

3. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is called to address, in both a timely and efficient manner, various pressing issues troubling Europe. At present these include the dominant discussion on debt relief, the refugee crisis, the increasing problem of religious fundamentalism or the still critical environmental concerns. The above dilemmas deeply affect the daily life of millions of people. The establishment of a consultative body (not necessarily formal and official in character), both at a European and a global level, could greatly contribute towards the realization and promotion of the priorities and activities of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in these and other critical areas of concern. Preferably, this sort of initiative could be an informal consultative body consisting of a flexible number of theologians and scholars, mainly of the younger generation, representing, as far as possible, the ecumenical character of the diakonia and witness of the Ecumenical Throne throughout the world. In our view this body should play a crucial and not only decorative role in the decision-making process on these diverse issues. The Office of the Orthodox Church at the European Union can also play a pivotal role in this context.

4. We cannot consider the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe apart from its local dioceses in the different European countries, which “hypostasize,” and ecclesiastically guarantee the presence of the Ecumenical Throne in Europe. In accordance with the decision of the Pan-Orthodox Preparatory Conference in Geneva (June 2009), the Metropolitan representing the Ecumenical Throne is the ex officio President of the Episcopal Assemblies, which were instituted as a move toward the final resolution of the so-called “Diaspora” problem. Thus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as primus, has the honor and duty to foster and serve the unity of the local Orthodox Churches in the various European settings, to the extent that each local Church still belongs to an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

In this regard absolute priority should be given to the development of close relations and sincere cooperation between the Orthodox Churches, which are invited to express in “synod” the visible, local unity of Orthodoxy in countries where Orthodox believers are a minority. Primacy, in this perspective, is to be understood and practiced as a ministry to the unity of the Orthodox, far from any temptation of ethnic supremacy or authoritative imposition. Furthermore, representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on a European level, but also on a global scale, should work to overcome the spirt of divisiveness, especially emerging from nationalism, which, at times, has been exacerbated in countries where the Orthodox Church was the established religion or had special ties with the State. The development and consolidation of the institution of Episcopal Assemblies in the context of the “Diaspora,” can contribute, therefore, to the final overcoming of the phenomenon of different (national) and conflicting jurisdictions.

As indicative areas of further reflection towards a fruitful and sincere cooperation of the Orthodox Churches in Europe one can mention the following:

1. The harmonious alliance of the Orthodox Churches, aiming at their recognition, where applicable, “as legal entities (of public law);”
2. The establishment of Orthodox Christian Religious classes in public schools of European countries, applying the confessional criterion, thus reinforcing the local university Institutes, Centers, Departments or Chairs of Orthodox Theology;
3. A common representation of the Orthodox Churches in Mass Media;
4. A theological and pastoral reflection regarding the adoption of the local language in worship and communication between Orthodox Churches: this issue is of crucial relevance for both the witness and the diakonia of the Gospel, especially for the younger generation, as well as for the indigenization of Orthodoxy in Western Europe; and
5. The reception of the work already done in the context of the ecumenical dialogue towards Christian unity by the local Orthodox Churches: Although it is widely recognized that the various bilateral and multilateral ecumenical dialogues have boldly contributed to the deepening of the mutual understanding among the diverse Christian traditions, the fruits of this progress have not yet been creatively received by the ordinary believers. This is an unpleasant reality that needs to be addressed carefully.

Before concluding, and in the spirit of this important meeting, we feel it would be helpful to keep in mind that we are here not only to speak, but also to listen, or rather to set a process in motion that will allow us to dialogically reflect on the various crucial issues that the Orthodox Church and Theology urgently need to face today.

Group Members:

Nikolaos Asproulis, Volos Academy for Theological Studies (Greece)

Prof. Konstantinos Delikostantis, University of Athens (Greece)

Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Volos Academy for Theological Studies (Greece)

Prof. Athanasios Vletsis, Munich University (Germany)

Fr Chrysostom Nassis, University of Thessaloniki (Greece)