“Christmas is the time for self-knowledge, for understanding the difference between “God becoming man” and “man acting as god.” It is the time for awareness of the Christian teaching that “we do not speak of man becoming divine, but of God becoming human,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew wrote in this year’s Patriarchal Encyclical for the feast of the Nativity of the Lord.
“Giving any meaning we desire to our life is not freedom, but the contemporary version of original sin, our self-enclosure within self-sufficient and self-serving independence, without a perception for truth as a relationship with God and our fellow human beings,” His Holiness noted in his encyclical.
The Patriarch of Constantinople warned that “the message of the good news about Christmas today echoes alongside the din of war and the clash of weapons in Ukraine, which is experiencing the horrible consequences of a provocative and unjust invasion.”
Reflecting on the conflict in Ukraine, the Patriarch of Constantinople recalled that our Saviour blesses the “peacemakers,” for “they shall be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9)
His Holiness referred to the gift of peace among peoples, which “Never in the history of humankind has been a condition taken for granted. Instead, it was everywhere and always the result of inspired initiatives, of courage and self-sacrifice, of resistance to violence and rejection of war as a means of resolving differences, and a perpetual struggle for justice and protection of human dignity.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch cautioned that in modern times “the position is maintained that peace will ensure due to economic development, a rise in living standards, and progress in science and technology through digital communication and the internet.”
However, “there can be no peace among people and civilizations without peace among religions without dialogue and collaboration.”
“Faith in God strengthens our effort for a world of peace and justice, even when that effort confronts humanly unsurpassable hurdles. At any rate, it is unacceptable for representatives of religions to preach fanaticism and fan the flames of hatred.”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew urged to “celebrate the Nativity of the world’s Saviour with spiritual joy” and wished everyone that the coming year 2023 may be “a period of peace, love, and solidarity, truly a year in the righteousness of our Lord!”
Photography courtesy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate / Nikos Papachristou
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