His Eminence Saba Isper was enthroned on Saturday as the Antiochian Metropolitan of North America. In his enthronement speech, he spoke of the mission of Orthodox Christians in today’s society: to give witness to the beauty of Christ in a world which is thirsty for the Word of Life.
The ceremony was held at “St Nichola” Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, in the presence of hierarchs of the Antiochian Church and of other canonical Churches in North America.
Among the participants: Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophorus of North America, who is also the chairman of the Assembly of Orthodox Canonical Bishops of the USA, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas and Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
In his speech, the new Antiochian metropolitan recalled the moment when he was made a hierarch and told to grow the Church as the Body of Christ in the East and perhaps even to the remotest place in the world.
“However, twenty-five years after – in the heart of the American society, whose culture is traditionally imprinted with Christ and is ever thirsty to drink from the springs of His Holy Spirit – his word or his prophecy would be fulfilled,” His Eminence Saba said.
“I am now here among you in this blessed Archdiocese to accomplish together the great commission to root the Church of Christ in the heart of the society of North America by witnessing to the beauty of Christ in our world today. A society which is searching for a witness to the Word of Life.”
The enthronement ceremony was followed by a charitable banquet. Funds were raised for the victims of the devastating earthquake which stroe Turkey and Syria this February
Photo credit: Facebook / Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
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