Athens, June 20, 2023
Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
“Re-evangelization, re-catechism, and the formation of new communities will only happen once we turn to God in prayer and labor,” the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church told the dozens of hierarchs and others gathered for the recent “Organization and Re-Evangelization of the Parish” conference held in Athens.
The two-day conference was held after Abp. Ieronymos brought the issue of parish life before the Holy Synod last October, reports Vima Orthodoxias.
According to the Greek primate, re-evangelization means
a recognition on our part that there is a need to preach the Gospel message anew to the members of our ecclesiastical community, due to the distortion of the evangelical way of faith, life, and ethics. Re-evangelization refers to re-catechism, in order to find the right orientation, the authentic faith, and thus not to put people's salvation in doubt.
Revitalization will begin only “when we manifest with our own lives, the value of the ecclesiastical way of life as it is experienced genuinely in the Gospel and the lives of our saints and as it emerges through the Eucharistic, ascetic and social ethos of our Church,” the Archbishop said.
The conference featured a number of presentations from bishops and laymen, touching on a wide range of topics, including parish organization, how to more effectively reach the youth, inspiring the people to participate in Divine worship, and the true meaning of spiritual fatherhood.
Metropolitan Barnabas of Neapolis spoke about, among other things, using modern technologies in a responsible and spiritual beneficially way for the transformation and spiritual building up of the flock and the need to strengthen relations between parishioners.
An Orthodox teacher, Nikolaos Tsiadimos, spoke about how lay leaders can contribute to the re-evangelization of modern society. Another, Dr. Angeliki Kariotoglou, spoke about the Patristic teaching that true spiritual fatherhood means the pastor realizing that he is simply a connecting link between the spiritual child and Christ.
Metropolitan Simeon of Fthiotidos spoke of developing
a spiritual framework for a work of love and giving with total self-sacrifice and selflessness and at the same time with exemplary professionalism and impeccable perfection for an honest and fruitful dialogue of love with society for the evangelization of the modern world.
The second day of the conference began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and ended with a closing speech from Abp. Ieronymos.
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