wfn.org | ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW ADDRESSES THE ARCHDIOCESAN COUNCIL

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GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA

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> Contact: PRESS OFFICE
> Stavros Papagermanos
> pressoffice@goarch.org

HIS ALL HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
ADDRESSES THE ARCHDIOCESAN COUNCIL

NEW YORK ? Archbishop Demetrios of America welcomed His All Holiness
to a unique session of the Archdiocesan Council yesterday morning,
attended by more than 100 members, all the Metropolitans of the Holy
Eparchial Synod, the Auxiliary Bishops and Metropolitans Athanasios
Geron of Chalchedon and Emmanuel of France accompanying His All Holiness.

?All of you are indispensable members of this responsible body of the
Church ? bishops and presbyters, clergy and laity, men and women,
young and old,? said His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
in his paternal and patriarchal exhortation to the members of the
Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that
had gathered in New York City for their regularly scheduled Fall meeting.

The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his ?special pride? and ?sincere
gratitude? for the achievements of the Archdiocesan Council and the
Church in America, for the ?unfailing commitment? of the members and
for their ?fervent love for Christ and His teachings.?

As His All Holiness spoke of the long and uninterrupted tradition of
the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople and as he offered his
Patriarchal Blessing upon the members exhorted them: ??never lose
sight of two things: First, of your sacred and historical roots, which
lie in the Mother Church of Constantinople, which has known glory and
martyrdom alike over the centuries, and to this day maintains the
unity, sanctity, catholicity and apostolicity of the Orthodox
Christian Church; And second, of your spiritual and heavenly goal,
which lies in the Kingdom of God, to which all of our actions and our
ministry should aspire.?

Following his exhortation to the Archdiocesan Council His All Holiness
offered a private audience to the National Philoptochos Executive
Committee, during which he expressed the gratification of the Mother
Church for the important philanthropic work of the National Ladies
Philoptochos Society.

Later in the day, His All Holiness attended a Luncheon in his honor by
the Permanent representative of Turkey to the United Nations,
Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan.

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