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The Patriarch's Catechetical Address on the Commencement of Holy and Great Lent, 2008.

Protocol Number 293

+ B A R T H O L O M E W, BY THE MERCY OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH GRACE AND PEACE FROM OUR SAVIOR AND LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND FROM US BENEDICTION BLESSING AND FORGIVENESS.

During this period of Holy and Great Lent, our Church calls us to repentance. Doubtless, as contemporary man hears this invitation to repentance, he does not feel comfortable, because he has accustomed himself to a certain way of life, and does not wish to question his own rectitude. Calling one’s own rectitude into question produces feelings of insecurity, because the ideological structure within which you have sure and certain refuge is clearly risked. [more...]

Patriarchal Declaration for Christmas, 2007:
Prot. No. 1330
+BARTHOLOMEW, by the grace of God Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch, to the Plenitude of the Church grace, mercy and peace from the Savior Christ born in Bethlehem,

Christ is born, glorify Him;
Christ comes from heaven, meet Him.

Beloved brothers and children in the Lord,

It is with great joy that our Church calls us to glorify God for His loving and personal presence on earth of Christ in divino-human hypostasis, being one of the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

We must, therefore, examine very carefully the true and life-giving significance of the incarnation of the Son and Word of God. For, first, it reveals to humanity that God is personal and is made manifest to us as personal, just as He has also created us as persons; second, it reveals to us that God embraces us with His love. These two events, the personhood and love of God, express fundamental truths of our faith, which of course we have heard about many times. Nevertheless, their impact upon our lives is not as great as it should be, inasmuch as many of us do neither experience Christ’s brotherhood and His boundless love for us in a personal way, nor do we in turn return our love to Christ in order that, by sharing in His love, we may also share by grace in His other properties.[more...]

Patriarchal Discourse on Holy Pascha 2007:
Prot. No. 310
+ BARTHOLOMEW, BY THE MERCY OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, TO THE FULLNESS OF THE CHURCH GRACE, JOY, PEACE AND MERCY FROM HIM WHO WAS RISEN IN GLORY, CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR

Beloved Concelebrants and pious and God-loving children of the Church,

CHRIST HAS RISEN!

Once again we hear this joyful Christian greeting within our Christian Communities. But many of these prosperous Communities disregard the question and very real issue of death, and live as though death did not exist and the resurrection was without meaning. However, “Fearful is the mystery of death”, as the hymnographer says and our daily reality reiterates. The fear of death, which is most acute in those who confront problems of health or old age, even when it is alleviated in a variety of ways, consumes our peace of mind, fills the soul with irrational anxiety and often leads to suicide, for the relentless insecurity becomes unbearable.

The Resurrection of Christ put an end to this insecurity. Death is no longer the ruler of life; it is not the unavoidable end of our existence. Our tombstones do not overshadow our existence forever with an everlasting silence. The stone which shut the tomb of Christ was rolled away, and Christ came forth triumphant, master over death, unscathed by its sting, the firstborn of the dead. From that moment, the door of the tomb remained open behind Him for all. [more...]

The Ecumenical Patriarch’s Catechetical Homily on the Beginning of Holy and Great Lent, 2007:

+ B A R T H O L O M E W, BY THE MERCY OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH, GRACE AND PEACE FROM OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, TOGETHER WITH OUR PRAYER, BLESSING AND FORGIVENESS

“The time has come which is the beginning of spiritual struggles.”
(Hymn of the Ainoi of Cheese Fare Sunday)

Beloved brothers and children in the Lord,

It is with these words that the Sacred Hymnographer reminds us of our obligation to intensify our spiritual struggles for the benefit of our spiritual training and progress during this period of Holy and Great Lent which is about to begin.

Humanity realized from ancient times that good things can only be acquired through hard work. Likewise did the Holy Fathers realize that in order to savor divine love, within which everything good, both eternal and temporal coexists, the contempt of repose is considered necessary, as Abba Isaac the Syrian says characteristically. And on the one hand, the material goods and commodities are what we humans pursue and acquire through great trouble, which we are usually ready for and willing to undergo. [more...]

Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios of America for the Feast of Saint Basil and the New Year:

Protocol 01/07

January 1, 2007

Feast of Saint Basil and the New Year

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

My Beloved Christians,

As Greek Orthodox Christians, we enter this New Year with the joyous celebration of the Feast of Saint Basil, a much beloved and venerated Ecumenical Teacher and Great Hierarch of our Church whose life in the fourth century continues to serve as a model worthy for emulation by all Christians. Saint Basil is revered with a special prominence worldwide in the Holy Orthodox Church for the saintly life which he lived, for his astonishing work, and for his acts of extraordinary kindness and goodwill to the sick, the downtrodden, and the marginalized. [more...]

Patriarchal Proclamation Upon the Feast of the Nativity, 2006:

Protocol No. 1378

+ B A R T H O L O M E W, BY THE MERCY OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH, GRACE, PEACE, AND MERCY FROM CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR, BORN IN BETHLEHEM

"God on earth, man in heaven; and all became mingled together." St. John Chrysostom

Brothers, Sisters and beloved Children in the Lord,

The human mind finds it difficult to comprehend the immense change the Birth of Christ brought about in the world. He who was born in the manger of Bethlehem was not an ordinary child like the ones that are born every day. He is the Creator of the entire universe, come down to our level, in order to lift up His creature and restore him to the heights from which he had fallen. [more...]

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Receive Pope Benedict XVI in Istanbul November 29-30, 2006

ISTANBUL, Turkey - His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of over 300 million Orthodox faithful worldwide, will receive Pope Benedict XVI on November 29 - 30, 2006 at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.

Pope Benedict’s three-day visit to Istanbul comes at the personal invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarch on the occasion of the feast day of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the older brother of Saint Peter. Saint Andrew traveled across Asia Minor and is considered the founder of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the former name for present-day Istanbul. Both prelates are noted throughout the world as peacemakers and for their extraordinary efforts to create bridges of truth and love across religious, ethnic, environmental and political divides. [more...]

Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios of America for Thanksgiving Day

Protocol 123/06

November 23, 2006
Thanksgiving Day

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Order of St. Andrew, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I greet you in the love of our gracious God as we celebrate our national holiday of Thanksgiving. As we come together as families, friends, and communities from across the land on this wonderful day it is indeed appropriate to feast with one another in a spirit of Christian gratitude; for God has blessed us with gifts and treasures which we must never take for granted. Among the more precious of these God-given gifts that we remember on this day are the indispensable values of our democracy, our religious freedom, and our civil liberties. [more...]

New Auxiliary Bishop Elected

October 31, 2006

New York, NY – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America announces on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the unanimous election by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Very Reverend Archimandrite Demetrios Kantzavelos, Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, as an Auxiliary Bishop to the Holy Archdiocese of America, “presently for the needs of the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, with the high title of the once renown diocese of Mokissos.”

On the announcement of the election, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America said: “I congratulate the newly elected bishop and I wholeheartedly wish him a fruitful and creative service in his new most sacred mission. May he have the permanent support of God in his labors for the good of the Church and for the glory of God.” [more...]

OCMC Welcomes a New Development Director

September 15, 2006

St. Augustine, FL – The Orthodox Christian Mission Center welcomes a native Floridian, John-Paul Conners, to the Mission Center staff. He was raised Orthodox in an atypical Greek-German-Irish-American household. He has spent his life in the US, Greece, and Germany, plus other countries working as a strategy consultant and business developer on major projects.

John-Paul earned his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at the University of Central Florida, Orlando. Additionally, he studied German and French at the Geothe Institut[e] and Berlitz, respectfully, both located in Düsseldorf, Germany during the summer terms. His first overseas assignment was as a Product Manager, where he reversed a downward Sales trend by developing relations with three major, German distributors and by training, mentoring, and managing a 15-person sales force. [more...]

Keynote Address of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America for the Opening of the 38th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress:

1. Introduction:

By the grace and love of God, we are together once again for the 38th Clergy Laity Congress of our Holy Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. We are meeting here, in the beautiful and hospitable city of Nashville, Tennessee, in order to translate into projects and actions the theme of our Congress: “Sharing the truth of the Gospel and the love of Christ”, which means sharing the truth and the love of Christ with our brothers and sisters of the Orthodox faith, and with our non-Orthodox, even non-Christian neighbors, colleagues, and citizens of this country, and beyond America. [more...]

Patriarchal Proclamation on Holy Pascha, 2006:

† B A R T H O L O M E W, BY THE GRACE OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH, GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY FROM CHRIST THE SAVIOUR, RISEN IN GLORY

"O life, how can you die? How can you dwell in a tomb?"

Brother concelebrants and pious, God-loving children of the Church,

All of Nature, the choirs of angels, the multitudes of humankind: all are astonished and amazed. The entire creation stands in fear and trembling in the presence of the great and unspeakable Mystery of the Holy Passion and the glorious Resurrection of Christ the Savior, and asks: “How is it possible that Life, true Life, Life itself, the source of Life, can die? How can a grave become the dwelling place of Life, of our Lord Jesus Christ Who said of himself, “I am … the life“” (John 14:6)? The answers are revealed to us in the Resurrection. [more...]

AHEPA Press Release: Click here to read AHEPA's Press Release on the State of Tennessee's official acknowledgement of Greek Independence Day.

President Celebrates Greek Independence Day at the White House:

Room 450

Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building

9:59 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Welcome. Your Eminence, thank you for your kind words. You're a philosopher, you're a wise person, you're an incredibly compassionate soul, and I'm proud to call you "friend." Thank you for being here. (Applause.)

Thank you for inviting me to help celebrate the 185th Anniversary of Greek Independence. America is a better country because of Greek Americans. It's something about the passion, the verve for life, the willingness to serve. I am blessed by having Greek Americans in my administration, two of the most important of whom have joined us, Your Eminence: John Negroponte, the Director of the National Intelligence -- (applause) -- and the Homeland Security Advisor, Frances Fragos Townsend. (Applause.)

Madame Foreign Minister, we are thrilled to have you here. Thank you for coming. Let me just say this, that it is a wise government who relies upon the judgment and advice of a woman as a Foreign Minister or Secretary of State. (Laughter and applause.) And I look forward to sharing our visit with my mother and dad who are close to the Minister. And I know they're going to be thrilled to know that you're strong and optimistic in serving your great country with class and dignity. [more...]

His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew's Catechetical Homily on the Occasion of Holy and Great Lent, 2006:

Prot. No. 128

† B A R T H O L O M E W

BY THE MERCY OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH, GRACE AND PEACE FROM OUR SAVIOR CHRIST, TOGETHER WITH OUR PRAYER, BLESSING AND FORGIVENESS

“Let us listen to the Scriptures on the Prodigal Son who regained wisdom, and let us follow the good example of his repentance.” (Oikos from the Sunday of the Prodigal Son)

Beloved brothers and children in the Lord,

By the grace of God, once more we are entering the period of the Triodion, during which the Holy Orthodox Church invites everyone to good repentance. Although, according to the Holy Fathers, good repentance is necessary even for those who are faultless in faith and virtue, many Christians do not understand that they are in need of good repentance. Many Christians refuse to repent, for they are convinced that they have not committed deeds for which they feel compunction and, thus, they do not feel the need to repent. More...

Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for Great and Holy Lent

Protocol 12/06, March 6, 2006
Great and Holy Lent

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we begin the season of Great and Holy Lent, we embark upon a spiritual journey replete with abundant opportunities for spiritual growth in Christ. This forty-day period is a time for intensified prayer and fasting. It is a time whereby the Church invites us to seek the forgiveness of our loving and compassionate God, to distance ourselves from sin, and to remain steadfast along the path of righteousness toward His heavenly Kingdom. In the words of the hymnologist, it is a time for each of us "to enter the inner chamber of our soul" (Hymn from Tuesday Matins, Week One). More...

2006 Patriarchal Epiphany Visitation (January 4-8, 2006, Tarpon Springs, Florida)

Visit the Official Website of Patriarch Bartholomew’s Visit to Tarpon Springs, Florida where you can find news and information on an event that will transport you to Greece without leaving the States. The event promises to be an unforgettable mix of faith, culture, history, inspiration and fun!

Patriarchal Proclamation upon the feast of Nativity:

Protocol No. 1300

+ B A R T H O L O M E W, BY THE MERCY OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH, GRACE, PEACE, AND MERCY FROM CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR, BORN IN BETHLEHEM

”For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Beloved Brothers and Sisters, Children in the Lord,

The human soul feels deeply the need to be loved. The widespread sense that life has no meaning, which plagues in particular our young people, is to be blamed on the absence of love. Our fellow human beings are for the most part trapped within their individual pursuits and seek to fill the emptiness caused by the lack of love with the acquisition of material goods, carnal pleasures and fame. However, the soul is only satisfied with personal recognition and love, and not these other things. [More...]

Address of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the reception held upon the Patronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (11/30/2005):

Your Eminence, Most Reverend and Beloved Brother in Christ Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and the Honourable Members of the Delegation from the Sister Church of Rome, Your Eminences and Beloved Brothers in Christ, Illustrious and Beloved Archons, Your Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps, Dear Distinguished Guests, sharing in our joy, Dear Sons and Daughters in the Lord,

We cordially thank you for coming here and sharing in our joy and thereby increasing it. Indeed, joy grows greater when there are more to share in it, just as sorrow diminishes when its burden is shared by the friends of the sorrowing. We extend an especial greeting to the Delegation of the Most Holy Pope of Rome, Benedict XVI, which is joining us now at this reception for the first time after His Holiness’ accession to the supreme office of the Roman Catholic Church.

Our feast is a religious feast, just as our Patriarchate is a religious institution. It has been called (and it has been) the Ecumenical Patriarchate from the earliest Christian centuries, and this it is because it has the ecclesiastical care of Orthodox Christians all over the globe, should they reside beyond the territorial boundaries of local Patriarchal or autocephalous Churches. Whereof, beyond its Dioceses within Turkey, it maintains Archdioceses and Dioceses in Europe, the Americas, the Far East, and Oceania. Furthermore it is accorded recognition by all Orthodox Churches as holding pre-eminent status amongst them. This means that it has a certain coordinative authority, such as in convoking inter-orthodox Councils, or attending to the replenishment of vacancies within their bodies, when they themselves are unable to fill them on their own, as had been the case with the Orthodox Church of Albania when it stood deprived of its prelates; it also has certain other purviews such as in enjoining unity, or the faithful observance of doctrine, et cetera. It does not, however, at its own initiative, interfere with their internal administration. More...

Encyclical of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios for Thanksgiving Day 2005:

November 18, 2005

Protocol 121/05
November 24, 2005
Thanksgiving Day

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we experience the beauty of the autumn season during these final months of the year, we arrive at our national celebration of Thanksgiving, a handsome occasion to thank God for the abundance of blessings that He bestows upon us each and every day of our lives. For many of us, Thanksgiving affords us an important annual opportunity to be reunited with long-distance family members and friends in a much anticipated celebration of life. More importantly, however, Thanksgiving is a sacred opportunity for us to come together to affirm our recognition that God is the source of the life and liberty that we enjoy in this great land. More...

Icons on Loan: (11/3/05) The icons of our Lord and the Theotokos that normally grace the northern wall in our church’s narthex, and three additional icons (namely, those of St. John the Forerunner, and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel) have been loaned to Saint John Chrysostom Mission while the icons for their new iconostasis are being painted. We are delighted that these venerable icons, which have been a part of our Parish since the times of the old downtown church, can also be a part of the worship life of our brothers and sisters at St. John’s. Note, too, that the remaining icons from the old church collection continue to reside in the sanctuary of our church, marking a special point of continuity with our past.

Archbishop Demetrios Condemns Hostile Demonstrations Against Our Ecumenical Patriarchate: (New York, NY, 10/31/05) Archbishop Demetrios of America has expressed his deepest sorrow and his strong and unequivocal condemnation for the most recent hostile demonstrations and threats against the holy center of world Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, in Istanbul, Turkey.

This latest assault took place last Thursday, October 28, when groups of Turkish nationalists and other extreme elements demonstrated in Phanar against the Ecumenical Patriarchate chanting slogans such as “one night we’ll come to the Phanar,” “go away Patriarch,” “Patriarch don’t test our patience,” “take the Patriarchate and go to Greece,” and the like. Before police intervened, the angry demonstrators reached the entrance to the Patriarchal compound, and placed a black wreath in front of the gate. More…

Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for OXI Day - October 28, 2005 (Protocol 110/05, 10-28-05): To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with thanks to God that we greet the arrival of the Twenty-Eighth of October, “OXI Day.” Each year on this day, we commemorate the resounding “No” of the Hellenic nation in 1940 against the dark forces of Fascism that were sweeping Europe at that critical time in the history of our world. We commemorate on this day a lasting and universal demonstration of Christian courage and faith over the brutish ideologies of hatred, racism, bigotry, and violence. More…

Orthodox Radio Show here in Nashville: Every Wednesday morning, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m., tune-in to 91.1 MHz on the FM dial to hear Sacred Music, Nashville’s very own Orthodox radio show hosted by Fr. Parthenios Turner of Saint John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Mission.

GOYA Fall Fling: Hosting GOYA’s annual Fall Fling on the weekend of October 14-16, the GOYA of Holy Trinity, Nashville welcomed some forty youths and a dozen parents from several Greek Orthodox parishes in the region, namely: Saint John Chrysostom Mission, Nashville; Holy Annunciation, Memphis; Holy Annunciation, Chattanooga; and Panagia Pantovasilissa, Lexington, Kentucky. The event was an enormous success. We would like to extend our warmest wishes to all the young people and their parents from these, our sister parishes, who joined us, and wish them a safe journey home.

Philoptochos President Lisa Solon Voted to Metropolis Board: Our warm congratulations go to Lisa Solon, the President of our parish’s Philoptochos, who, on Thursday, October 13, 2005, was elected by the Philoptochos chapters of the Metropolis, which were gathered in Detroit for the 2005 Metropolis of Detroit Clergy-Laity Conference, to be a Member of the Philoptochos Board for the entire Metropolis of Detroit. ¢îéá!

New Philoptochos Board-members: On Monday, October 10, 2005 the Philoptochos Board voted in its officers for 2006-07. They are: President: Lisa Solon; Vice President: Tess Coutras; Second Vice President: Tasoula Gaddis; Secretary: Alexandra Pappas; Correspondence Secretary: Loretta Bellos; Treasurer: Presbytera Stella Sfikas; Advisor: Joan Felts; Board-member: Candace Pyburn; Honorary Board-members: Vossie Bellos and Angelia Duncan.

ÐÜíôá Üîéåò! Ever Worthy!

New GOYA Officers for 2005-2006: On October 9, 2005, GOYA elected its new officers for the coming year. For the JUNIOR GOYA they are: President: Dena Demetros; Vice-President: Nicolas Taras; Secretary: Katrina Kennedy; Treasurer: Nicholas Davis. For the SENIOR GOYA they are: President: Athena Phillips; Vice-President: Kara Delvizis; Secretary: Desirae Phillips; Treasurer: Alexis Phillips.

Congratulations!