04 April 2003

NEWS

Progress in Dialogue Between Holy See and Greek Orthodox Church
Interview With Father Johan Bonny of Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Father Johan Bonny, a member of the Vatican delegation that visited the Greek Orthodox Church from Feb. 10-14, is optimistic about ties with the East. In this interview with ZENIT, he highlights the significance of the meetings between the Vatican and the Greek Orthodox Church, and foresees ever-greater cooperation at the cultural, social, ecological and academic level. Father Bonny, a Belgian diocesan priest and official of the Eastern section of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, thinks that the openness of Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece is determinant in this process of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue.

Q: Is the Vatican visit to Athens inscribed within the tradition or is it a novelty?

Father Bonny: To call it a tradition is premature. In any case, it is a new process promoted by Archbishop Christodoulos and by his Holy Synod, in an attempt to come closer to the other Churches of Europe. Thanks to this openness, the Pope's visit to Greece was able to take place in May 2001. It was the first time that a Pontiff was received in Hellenic land. A new direct relation has been established, and we hope it will continue in this way.

Q: What was the effect of the Pope's visit to Athens?

Father Bonny: It was a very important moment for the Church in Greece, a human and spiritual meeting of great significance. This event was followed by the visit of the Greek Orthodox Church to the Vatican, specifically in March 2002, and now this Vatican visit of ours to Athens in February has taken place. These exchanges will continue; it is very important that contact has been established and that the process not stop.

Q: What issues were discussed in this Vatican visit to Athens?

Father Bonny: Above all, there was talk of Europe, as well as of cultural, social, economic and environmental challenges. There was also discussion on the way to stimulate exchanges between Catholic and Greek Orthodox students.
Bioethics was a topic at the center of discussions. In this connection, it is interesting to know that a high-level Bioethics Center has been created in Athens; in fact, it is among the best in Europe. There is a desire to cooperate with other centers of this type, and they are looking for new channels of cooperation.

Q: Does the fact of cooperation in social, cultural and environmental issues mean that the doctrinal aspect in the ecumenical way is blocked?

Father Bonny: They are parallel ways: the "dialogue of charity" and "the dialogue of truth."
The "dialogue of truth" has been entrusted to the international commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. Therefore, the theological dialogue is not taking place with the particular Orthodox Churches, as the Greek Orthodox Church would be in this case, but with all the Orthodox Churches as a whole.
The "dialogue of charity," however, is open to the particular Orthodox Churches. Lately, various initiatives have been undertaken in this field.
I am thinking, for example, of the visits of Cardinal Walter Kasper to the Orthodox Churches of Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Serbia. To the degree that these initiatives help to create a new climate of trust and fraternity, they will have a positive effect on the theological dialogue.
In fact, we are conscious that the pastoral dialogue with the particular Churches can have a positive effect on the theological dialogue.

Q: Who are that 1% of Greek Catholics?

Father Bonny: The Catholic Church in Greece is made up primarily of Catholics who have come from other continents. If before the majority were French, English and Italian, today the face [of the Church] is above all Asian and African.
The greater part of these Catholics is workers or refugees. There is also a small community of the Byzantine rite, without forgetting, of course, the Catholic Greeks, such as the archbishop of Athens, Nikolaos Foscolos. The social problems that must be faced by this heterogeneous population is also a motive for joint pastoral work with the Orthodox.

Q: Archbishop Christodoulos is seen as a traitor by some members of his Church, who do not accept the talks with Rome. Has this opposition delayed fluid relations between Rome and Athens?

Father Bonny: Christodoulos is a prudent and courageous archbishop who must seek a middle way between those who are very attached to tradition or are wounded by some historical events, and those who are open to the ecumenical movement or to the Catholic Church.
It is important to emphasize that Archbishop Christodoulos is not the only one who is open to dialogue; he is not alone: Many faithful, also of the monastic world, are by his side, as well as many members of the Holy Synod.

Q: What can Catholics learn from the Greek Orthodox?

Father Bonny: We have much to learn, both the Westerners of the East as well as the Easterners of the West. On one hand, at the level of the Church as institution, the West can learn from the Easterners their synodal system.
On the other hand, the East can learn from the West the way in which the Catholic Church has been able to develop a communion at the world level.

Q: Is the Orthodox Church in Greece as concerned as Catholics are about the neglect, for the time being, in the drafts of the European Constitution of the Christian heritage [of the continent]?

Father Bonny: The Greek Orthodox Church is not an isolated Church. It is in the same boat together with the Churches of Europe. It must address the same challenges at the level of the sacramental life, of catechesis, and of pastoral care. At the same time, it is concerned about human and Christian values on which a common future should be constructed.

Q: Are Greece and Christianity an inseparable binomial?

Father Bonny: "Inseparable" would be exaggerated, although Greece is full of references to the first centuries of Christianity. St. Paul preached in the Areopagus of Athens and some of his letters were addressed to Greek communities, such as the Corinthians and the Thessalonians.
How many Greek monasteries go back to the early times of Christian monasticism? The Greek Orthodox Church is conscious of this wonderful patrimony of Christian faith and culture. It wants to transmit it to future generations with a great sense of fidelity.

A Delegation of the Greek Orthodox Minority of Albania visits the
EU-Institutions in Brussels and in Luxembourg
A 30- strong delegation of the Greek Orthodox Minority of Southern
Albania (internationally known as " Northern Epirus") visited Brussels
and in Luxembourg between 31 Μarch and 3 April. Secretary-General of the "Northern Epirus Youth Organization" Mr. Carathanos and the Member of the Albanian Parliament for the Region of Koritsa Mr. Caramelos were headed the group.
The delegation met with Eurodeputies and major EU-servants who handle the
file of Albania in the European Commission and informed them on the
situation in Northern Epirus, the Albanian persecutions against the Greek
Orthodox Minority and its request for autonomy.
It should be stressed that autonomy has been already agreed through
the International Protocol of Corfu signed by the major European countries
and Albania itself. It should also be noted that this demand gains more and more support in Brussels as it is fully compatible with the " acquis
communautaire" and it refers to an area densely inhabited by an internationally recognized Christian minority that do not enjoy the fundamental human rights a European country should offer to all its population.
The delegation paid visits to the EU-Insitutions and organised Press Conferences in the premises of the European Parliament and the Greek Community of Brussels.
[Source: Costas Kydoniatis, for ECCLESIA REPORT]

The Coptic population in Egypt under pressure: Seminar in the European Parliament attracts the interest of the EU Institutions.
A major seminar was organised in the premises of the European Parliament
by the Swedish right-wing Eurodeputy Mr.Lennart Sacrιdeus on 25 March 2003
on the situation of Copts in Egypt.
It should be stressed that Mr. Sacrιdeus is a very important Eurodeputy and
-although his is Swedish- he has been criticising the persecution of the
Orthodox and Greek minorities in many countries, like e.g. in Turkey.
The Seminar organised by him attracted the attention of numerous
Eurodeputies who wanted to be informed on this issue as two Coptic
representatives (Bishop Wissa and Habib Ibrahim) spoke about the Copts and
their situation in all the Middle East area and especially in Egypt.
Bishop Wissa is the Bishop of El- Baliana (Upper Egypt) and Recipient
of the" Freedom House Award 1999"and Mr. Habib Ibrahim is a general practicioner in the UK and Secretary of UK Coptic Association.
It should be underlined that the Copts are the largest Christian
minority in the Middle East and have been facing social and economic
pressure caused by the rise of Islamic extremism in the Middle East. Their
plight is, however, not on the news headline and the above-mentioned Seminar
gave the opportunity to those interested to know more about " secular"
states that exert pressure on religious minorities , as it -among others
-the case of the Coptic population in Egypt.
[Source: Costas Kydoniatis for ECCLESIA REPORT]

Is it Fair the EU Funding to Religious Institutions ?
The Greek Eurodeputy and major music composer Stavros Xarchakos raised
recently the issue of a possible EU funding to Christian Orthodox
Institutions. In an urgent parliamentary question tabled to the European
Commission Mr. Xarchakos asks information on the possibility of EU funding
to Christian Orthodox religious institutions, something that has already
happened with other ones (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish etc). The Greek
Eurodeputy asks also general information on the EU funds the Commission has
already given to " recognised or non- recognised religious institutions
since 1995 and up to date" and he demands detailled information with
reference to the amounts given and the exact dates of their release.
Mr. Xarchakos asks details also on the formalities and the procedure to
be followed as well as if the Orthodox Churches of member -states,
candidate countries ( e.g. the Christian Orthodox Church of Cyprus) or
third countries ( e.g. the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania) could
benefit from EU funding , since they have among their social aims the
promotion of the religious tolerance.
According to the information given to " ECCLESIA REPORT" by the
European Commission services, the official answer of Commissioner Mrs.
Reding is expected around the beginning of next month and it will provide
all the necessary clarifications on whether the Christian Orthodox
Institutions have been supported by EU funds during the last 8 years and
, if not, how this could be made possible, since other Catholic,
Protestant or Jewish institutions have already been benefited through
numerous EU Initiatives during the last 10 years.
[Source: Costas Kydoniatis for ECCLESIA REPORT]

Alexy II to lead festivities marking 100 years since Serafim Sorovsky's canonization
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II will lead festivities to be held in the Nizhny Novgorod region to mark 100 years since the canonization of Saint Serafim Sarovsky. This was announced in Moscow on Wednesday after a session of the committee assigned to organize the Sarovsky anniversary celebration.
The final festivities' program is to be endorsed by April 15. According to the plan, on July 29 the saint's remains will be moved in a religious procession from the Diveyev monastery, where they now rest, to the Sarov abode. On the following day, there, in the Saint Serafim church, Alexy II will conduct an anniversary service. On July 31, the remains will be returned to Diveyevo, where a worship service and a religious procession will take place on August 1. In addition, there are plans to complete the reconstruction of the Serafim church at the Sarov monaster. The presidential envoy to the Federal Volga District Sergei Kiriyenko told reporters that about 20,000-25,000 pilgrims will take part in the celebrations. Tent camps will be pitched, food and beverages will be delivered and car parks will be equipped for them, and several thousand policemen will maintain public order.
One of the organizers of the event, the Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret expressed hope today that the festivities in honor of world revered Serafim Sarovsky would be instrumental for the merger of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Foreign Russian Church. "This bleeding wound will hopefully be healed through Saint Serafim's prayers," the priest said.
[Source: Interfax]

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