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PATRIARCHAL PROCLAMATION
UPON THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY

[Translated from the Greek original]

Protocol Number: 1138

BARTHOLOMEW
BY THE GRACE OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE
NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH
GRACE, MARCY AND PEACE
FROM CHRIST THE SAVIOUR, BORN IN BETHLEHEM

Beloved Brethren and Children in the Lord,

It is with amazement and full of wonder that we are brought face to face,
particularly during these days, with the incarnation of the Son and Word of
God, Who was born of a Virgin and laid in a manger of animals, something
inconceivable for both mankind and the angelic orders. And whilst the
faithful celebrate festively this joyful event, namely that by divine
condescension a Saviour was born to us this day, descending unto us from
His great majesty, natural, social and spiritual earthquakes and conflicts
shatter mankind, that distanced itself from Christ, bringing thus turmoil
and trouble to the life of all those who love peace.

In the search of new forms and relations, social structures are being
destabilised; spiritual quests are derailed in self-destructing cults and
unprecedented natural disasters occur in different places on earth. All
around us one can see disorder and confusion, murders and devastation; the
vision of peace seems to be unwelcome and oppressed. Uncertainty, anxiety,
depression, lack of meaning, inexplicability of what is taking place,
frequent indifference and many a times even hate have established
themselves within the soul of most people.

Millions of our fellow human beings find themselves struggling, both
morally and physically, and are trapped beneath this natural, social and
spiritual wreckage; many of them, unable to cope with this situation, are
stricken with various psychological and physical injuries. Many seek out
the guilty and engage in vindictive acts against those whom in their
opinion are responsible for their troubles. Others, unable to approach
those responsible, manifest their dissatisfaction through acts of terrorism
directed against the innocent. Some even exploit this destabilization and
attempt to profit from it at the expense of their fellow human beings. And
others, having entrenched themselves behind their wealth, or their power,
live within a particular secluded world, neither feeling the pain of
others, nor willing to ease their pain.

All of these people have not learnt of the salvation through the newborn
Christ. In many cases, out of despair and certainty that there cannot be
any redemption from the dominion of evil, they do not even seek out
salvation. They strive by way of their own worldly powers for the solution
of their problems and many times resort to the powers of evil itself, which
when invoked, increase both confusion and pain.

We, beloved children in the Lord, believe and know well that salvation is
to be found nowhere else, but in Christ, and that there is no other name by
which we may be saved other than the name of Jesus Christ. Our certainty is
not shaken by the fact that the Saviour of the world appeared on Earth as a
humble man, a weak infant, a lamb carrying the sin of the world, and
accepting the cross and death. We are not alarmed by the fact that most of
the people do not accept the message of love and humility, which, as He
taught us, we must accept in order to be saved.

Having in mind the example of our Saviour, we recognise the saving power of
humility and of love that are voluntarily crucified ? these two
supernatural attributes of the Divinity, which fallen humanity imitates
with difficulty. With much love and humility, we repeat to all, the saving
message of Christ, proclaimed not only by words, but also through actual
application and sacrifice onto death, conquered by the Resurrection. For
the sacrifice out of love is sealed by the death of Christ, but the
transformation of the world is not brought to an end by the death of the
one who loves, but by the surpassing of his death through the Resurrection.
And this is the content of salvation about which we are speaking. Death
will never have dominion over us because Jesus Christ, Who is newly born,
has trampled it and abrogated its power.

A Saviour has been born to us this day! He did not come in power as humanly
appraised, but in the power of virtue radiating His supreme power, the
power of humility of the One Who is majestic and almighty, the Incomparable
power of love sacrificed selflessly and without ulterior motives. We do not
have delusions and false hopes that the world in its entirety will soon
accept these truths. We know, however and we proclaim that if it does not
accept them, and does not put them into practice, it will continue to live
in the torment of mutual destruction, of moral derailment, of the absence
of meaning to life, of falsehood and of pain.

For this reason and with much love and great humility, we appeal first to
the faithful to invite Christ to be born in our hearts, not as a simple
emotional sensation of worldly euphoria of a short lived and fleeting
duration, but as a radical change of our psyche, as a rebirth in Christ,
such a change that the divine attributes of love and humility may
constitute the fundamental elements of our existence. Further, with such
ardent love and humility, we invite all our fellow human beings, whether
they know Christ or not, to draw near to Jesus Christ Who was incarnate, as
a guileless lamb for their salvation, in order to receive from Him peace in
their hearts, knowledge of the purpose of life, negation of pain, eternity
and joy of life with Him, which is inalienable and surpasses everything
imaginable.

May Christ, through the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos, who gave
her own flesh to the Saviour Christ, and of our Holy predecessors Sts. John
Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, whose sacred relics have recently
been returned to our Church, as well as of all the Saints, be born in the
manger of all our hearts and reside there permanently so that we may live
with Him the joy of His presence, His indescribable love and His
extraordinary humility. Amen.

At the Phanar, Christmas 2004
Your fervent supplicant before God,
+Bartholomew of Constantinople

_____________________
To be read in the churches during the Divine Liturgy of the Feast of the
Nativity, following the reading of the Holy Gospel

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