Ecclesiastical Delegation from Greece
Meets Patriarch and Hierarchs
of the Church of Georgia
Meetings Focused on the Church of Georgia's Response to the Synod in Crete
Caption of Main Photograph (Seated: (L-R): Archpriest Theodore
Zisis, His Beatitude, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II,
Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Demetrios Tselengidis, Hieromonk Miqaeli
Bregvadze, Monk Seraphim (Zisis); Standing: (L-R): Hierodeacon Peter,
Archpriest Symeon, Protopresbyter Peter Heers, Protopresbyter Matthew
Vulcanescu, Metropolitan of Zugdidi and Tsaishi, Gerasimos
(Sharashenidze), Metropolitan of Alaverdi, David (Makharadze),
Archbishop of Stepantsminda and Khevi, Iegudiel (Tabatadze),
Metropolitan of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti, Theodore (Chuadze),
Protopresbyter Anastasios Gotsopoulos, Archpriest Bessarion.
FROM July 25th through July 28th an ecclesiastical delegation
of clergy from the Church of Greece were visitors to and the guests of
the Patriarchate of the Georgia and His Beatitude the
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. The delegation
consisted of Archpriest and Professor Emeritus of Patrology of the
Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki, Fr. Theodore
Zisis, Professor of Dogmatic Theology in the Department of Theology of
the Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki, Demetrios
Tselengidis, Protopresbyter and Rector of the Parish of St. Nicholas of
the Diocese of Patra, Fr. Anastasios Gotsopoulos, Protopresbyter and
Rector of the Parish of the Prophet Elias, Petrokerasa, in the Diocese
of Ierissou and Agion Oros, Fr. Peter Heers, and Protopresbyter and
Rector of the Parish of All-Holy Directress, Bokos Hill, in the Diocese
of Peiraeus, Fr. Matthew Vulcanescu.
In a series of meetings with hierarchs of the Apostolic Orthodox
Church of Georgia responsible for inter-Orthodox affairs, as well as
with the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Beatitude Ilia II, who
graciously received and honored his guests at his summer residence, the
delegation was warmly received in a spirit of brotherly love and
sincere cooperation and shown exceptional hospitality over their 5 day
stay. The purpose of delegation's visit was twofold: on the one hand to
express - on behalf of all faithful Orthodox Christians in Greece -
their heartfelt gratitude to the Patriarch, Hierarchy and Faithful of
the Venerable and Martyric Church of Georgia for their confession of the
Orthodox Faith over and against the rise - in council - of syncretistic
ecumenism, and, on other hand, to consult and discuss in person with
His Beatitude and Hierarchs the proper response to the unorthodox
"Council of Crete."
In particular, the Georgian Church's faithfulness to Orthodox ecclesiology, as evidenced in the now twenty-year old decision
to depart and remain apart from the syncretistic-ecumenist,
Protestant-dominated body, the so-called "World Council of Churches,"
was praised and held up as a model for all Orthodox Churches. This
faithfulness was, moreover, most evident in the stance
the Church has maintained via-a-vis the texts and organization of the
mis-labeled "Great and Holy Council," an episcopal conference of a small
portion of bishops representing less than half of the Orthodox
faithful, which was held this past June in Crete.
The discussions centered on the problems created by the
innovative and unorthodox "Council in Crete" and the necessary response
to it based upon the dogmas and canons of the Church and Orthodox
ecclesiology. The need for a clear rejection of both the methodology and
organization of the Council, as well as the innovative and unorthodox
texts adopted at the Council, and for a new, Orthodox Council to be
called in response, was stressed by the Greek delegation. The Patriarch
welcomed his guests and praised their love and devotion to the Church
and Faith, assuring them that "there are not many churches, but only one
Church, the Orthodox Church," and that he and the Holy Synod will "work
for the unity of all of the Orthodox," which can only be assured on the
basis of the faith once delivered. The representatives of the Church of
Georgia to the pan-Orthodox conferences, Metropolitans Gerasimos of
Zugdidi and Theodoros of Akhaltsikhe, also, for their part, stressed
their Church's commitment to their pre-conciliar rejection of the
unorthodox texts "The Sacrament of Marriage and Its Impediments" and
"Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World."
Furthermore, the Patriarch and Metroplitans also stated that the
documents of the Council will be translated into Georgian and examined
and an official response will be issued after the general meeting of the
Hierarchy in October.
In general, both the guests and the hosts found common ground and
oneness of mind on all matters of faith with respect to the Dogma of the
Church and Her boundaries and the need to continue unwavering in the
Orthodox Confession of Faith in the face of the spread of syncretistic
ecumenism. They pledged to continue cooperation in this regard in the
immediate future.
In addition to the above mentioned meetings and discussions, the
gracious hospitality for which the Georgian people are so well-known was
extended to the visiting clergy with a full program of visits to
historic pilgrimage sites of the venerable Church of Georgia.
Part 1 of a photo-report of the visit follows:
