Archbishop Elpidophoros of America – The Church Must Be Open To All
(Interview to Ms. Lena Argyri and ERT TV via Kathimerini)
“Our Church must open up and speak to the average person, not only to the Greeks or the Orthodox. She must build a relationship with the society in which she lives, then she will be refreshed and revivified. We are not afraid of diversity, of another point of view, or another perspective.
There is a fallacy that the Church is supposedly only interested in the afterlife and in saving our souls: ‘She doesn’t care now if you’re upset, if you’re in pain, hungry, thirsty, or suffering. Don’t worry, just be patient through all these in order to save your soul.’
This is not the teaching of our Church.
Our church has her arms open to accept all people and is interested in everything; she cares about our health in the here and now, mental and physical; she cares that we live in ease and have enough food, safety, health, education, dignity, respect, freedom, democracy. The Church is not just interested in the salvation of our souls.
The Church does not want to isolate people; she is extroverted, she loves, she is for the whole world and not for one kind of people.
Everyone has a seat at our table.”
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