The Metropolis of Corinth, Greece, hosted the 36th Pan-Orthodox Conference on Heresies and Para-Religions from 3 to 5 November, organised by the Church of Greece.
This year’s theme is “Magic, Divination, Astrology and the Prediction of the Future”, and the Romanian Patriarchate was represented by Bishop Siluan, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary, according to the diocese’s Press Office.
Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, Chairman of the Church of Greece’s Synodal Committee on Heresies, has also been appointed chairman of this year’s Pan-Orthodox Conference. Archpriest Kyriakos Tsouros, Secretary of the same Synodal Committee, has coordinated the event annually since its inception.
Participants
Representatives of the sister Orthodox Churches attending the conference included:
- Metropolitan Kyrillos of Ierapytna and Siteia (Ecumenical Patriarchate);
- Metropolitan George of Guinea (Patriarchate of Alexandria);
- Archimandrite Porphyrios Georgi (Patriarchate of Antioch);
- Archimandrite Ieronymos, Representative of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens (Patriarchate of Jerusalem);
- Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Dositej of Ljubljana (Serbian Patriarchate);
- Metropolitan Gregory of Vratsa (Bulgarian Patriarchate);
- Archpriest Kyriakos Kyriakou (Church of Cyprus);
- Archpriest Kyriakos Tsouros (Church of Greece);
- Professor Georgios Betleikos (Church of Poland);
- Archpriest Ioannis Merkouris (Church of Albania).
The Church of Greece was also represented by Metropolitans Pavlos of Corinth, Seraphim of Kythira and Seraphim of Piraeus, who serve on the Synodal Committee on Heresies.
Opening prayers and messages
The event began on Tuesday at the St Paul the Apostle Conference Centre of the Metropolis of Corinth, near the ancient city of Corinth, with the Lesser Blessing of Water and a prayer of blessing celebrated by Metropolitan Kyrillos of Ierapytna and Siteia, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
After a welcome address by Metropolitan Pavlos of Corinth, the sister Orthodox Churches presented messages.
Archpriest Kyriakos Tsouros read a message from Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece.
“The perception that the course of life is determined by the stars, hidden forces, signs or unalterable predictions undermines the sense of personal responsibility. Responsibility is transferred from the individual to external mechanisms, while freedom gives way to the supposed omnipotence of fate,” the Primate of the Church of Greece explained.
“Christian faith calls people to trust in God without surrendering their judgement, freedom or responsibility. The Church does not regard the human person as a passive executor of a predetermined plan, but as someone called to choose, to struggle, to repent and to love freely.”
Message from the Romanian Patriarch
Bishop Siluan conveyed a message from His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, in which the Romanian Orthodox Patriarch emphasised that magic, astrology, divination and other forms of pseudo-spirituality “constitute a serious pastoral challenge, as they create confusion in the lives of Christians and distance people from authentic and living communion with God”.
“Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition consistently testify that the future of the human person rests in God’s hands, and that knowledge and fulfilment of His will are attained through faith, prayer, repentance and participation in the sacramental life of the Church,” Patriarch Daniel said in his message.
“Therefore, any attempt to discover the future through occult means or to acquire power through magical practices represents a departure from the true faith and a turning away from genuine spiritual life.”
Conference proceedings
Opening addresses were also delivered by Maria-Eleni Soukouli-Viliali, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, who is originally from Corinth, and Nikolaos Stavrelis, Mayor of Corinth.
Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus then delivered a lecture on the contemporary relevance, importance and significance of the conference theme for the Orthodox Church and its faithful, before formally declaring the proceedings open.
Professor Thomas Ioannidis of the Faculty of Theology in Athens presented a paper on apocryphism, including mystery religions and esoteric religious traditions.
His presentation was followed by a discussion with participants about the pastoral challenges posed by astrology, magic and fortune-telling.
The conference continued until Thursday, when participants are expected to issue a joint message setting out the meeting’s conclusions.
This year’s conference chairman, Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, will sign the message, which will be forwarded to the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece and the other sister autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
