Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-05-11
CONTENTS
[01] Christodoulos addresses World Council of Churches conference being
held in Greece
[01] Christodoulos addresses World Council of Churches conference being
held in Greece
Sessions of an influential global conference on spiritual trends
continued on Wednesday at the Aghios Andreas seaside summer resort east
of Athens, where some 700 delegates from around the world gathered for
conference, the first-ever held in Greece.
The week-long conference is organised by the World Council of
Churches.
In addressing delegates, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece
Christodoulos stressed the need for safeguarding a Christian identity
among all denominations and missionary activities vis-a-vis the modern
era's challenges.
The messages to a underscored the sense among many Christian pastors
and scholars that churches need to sharpen their mission in an age of
fast-paced economic restructuring and growing instability, such as the
widening gulf between the West and Islam.
"The consequences of globalisation, terrorism and the war on terror
require that Christian churches rediscover their prophetic voice ... to
raise their voice and be on the side of peace," Christodoulos told the
gathering of Christian leaders, theologians and activists.
"The growing effect of globalisation, as a cultural and not a financial
phenomenon any more, the opening of national borders and the increasing
movement of populations from one place to another puts our Christian
witness in a totally different situation than in the past," he said,
adding that the issue acquires a greater urgency after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.
|