Head of Phanar warns against new ecumenism around traditionalistic values
Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: 2023cecassembly
On June 18, 2023, at the Assembly of European Churches in Tallinn, Patriarch Bartholomew announced that modern Europe is no longer Christian, the Assembly website reports.
“Needless to say, today, we are living in a very different Europe, one in which the landscape of religious affiliation has changed. As Christian churches, we can no longer take for granted that Europeans will identify with national churches or, indeed, with any particular form of belief..”
At the same time, the head of the Phanar said that today "there are some who call for a ‘new ecumenism’ – namely, a unity of Christian churches around what are labelled as ‘traditionalistic values.’"
According to him, “This form of ecumenism inevitably creates strange alliances among Christian churches. Those churches who were once opposed to any type of ecumenical conversation are now willing to participate in this so-called ‘new 5 ecumenism’ that champions traditionalistic values.”
He cited the United States as an example, where "some American evangelical Christians, who had previously considered Catholic and Orthodox Christians as pagans worshipping idols, now appear willing to work with certain Catholic and Orthodox Christians in order to support these values."
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to Patriarch Bartholomew, today's ecumenical dialogue is focused on Islam and Judaism.
Read also
Greek Archdiocese of America creates Folk Dance and Cultural Ministry
The American Archdiocese of the Constantinople Patriarchate has created the Folk Dance and Culture Department to preserve Greek traditions.
Bishops Council of Armenian Church to be held in Austria over govt. pressure
The session of the highest body of the Armenian Apostolic Church will take place in February in Sankt-Pölten instead of Etchmiadzin.
Request about Baptism of the Lord on Jan 19 tops Ukrainian trends on Google
Ukrainians massively googled for congratulations and information about the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 19.
OCU awards yet another order to Yurash, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican
Epifaniy Dumenko awarded Andrii Yurash with an order.
ECHR to consider lawsuit against placement of icons in Greek courts
Strasbourg will examine an appeal from an atheistic organization in Greece challenging the placement of Christian religious symbols in the country's courtrooms.
Holy Spirit Church of UOC damaged by shelling in Dnipropetrovsk region
The Holy Spirit Church, which is an exact copy of the Resurrection Church in Foros, was damaged.