14 February 2003

NEWS
Delegation from the Holy See in Athens
A delegation from the Holy See, led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, has made a five-day visit in Athens, to promote the understanding between the two churches as well as to establish and develop joint ways of collaboration and witness on issues such as peace, justice, human rights, the sacred character of life, the protection of creation, and current problems of Europe.

The framework of this collaboration was defined in the Joint Declaration signed by John Paul II and Archbishop Christodoulos on May 4, 2001 in Athens. The text expressed satisfaction over the European Union's progress but warned about "the rising tendency to transform some European countries into secularised states with no reference whatsoever to religion."
Seeing that trend as a denial of Europe's spiritual heritage, the declaration stressed the need "to intensify our efforts so that the unification of Europe will be completed" and to "do everything possible so that the roots and Christian soul of Europe will be integrally preserved."

Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was accompanied by Bishop Brian Farrell, council secretary, and Msgr. Johan Bonny, an official of the Eastern Section of this pontifical council. Archbishop Paul Fouad Tabet, apostolic nuncio in Greece, has joined the Holy See delegation in Athens. The visit ended on February 14.
[Source: ecclesia report]

A Concert of Byzantine and Gregorian Choirs
On Monday 10 February, at Goethe-Institute in Athens, the newly established Dept of Cultural Events of the Archdiocese of Athens organized the concert of Gregorian and Byzantine antiphons, which was a great success. The two choirs -- the Maestores of Psaltic Chants directed by Gregorios Stathis, and the Nova Schola Gregoriana di Verona, directed by Alberto Turco, - - entranced the audience. The Chancellor of the Archdiocese protopresbyter Thomas introduced the concert, which was attended by the Archbishop of Athens Christodoulos, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Vatican’s Council for Christian Unity, Archbishop Paul Fouad Tabet, apostolic nuncio in Greece, Metropolitan Theoklitos, president of the Ecclesiastical Communication, Metropolitan Amvrosios, president of the Synodical Committee of Interchurch Relations, Bishop Athanasios, representative of the Church of Greece in Brussels, and many people. Pan Drakopoulos is the Director of the Dept of Cultural Events.
[Source: ecclesia report]

Greek Culture Minister Defends Legality of Ban on Women’s Access to Mount Athos
On 20 January the Greek Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos met in Brussels with a delegation of Eurodeputies and the Europarliament’s Culture Committee, President Michel Rocard, and discussed with them the issue of the Mount Athos monastic community’s ban on women’s access.

Μr Venizelos explained that Mount Athos enjoys special legal status, which was established in the Accession Treaty of Greece to the EEC, and was reaffirmed in Amsterdam. He also stressed that the monastic peninsula is self-governed and all the land there belongs to the monasteries and therefore it is private, and none of it belongs to the public or the Greek state.

The all-male monastic community on the Mount Athos peninsula in northern Greece is semi-autonomous and has barred the entry of women for 10 centuries. The monks have dedicated their community to the memory of Mary the Mother of God, thus the peninsula is also called the ‘Garden of Mary the Theotokos.’
[Sources: ANA and Europaica. Text strongly edited]