Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Τελμησσού κ. Ἰώβ, Μόνιμος Αντιπρόσωπος του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στο Παγκόσμιο Συμβούλιο Εκκλησιών εκπροσωπεί την Α.Θ.Π. τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη κ.κ. Βαρθολομαίο στο 27ο Συνέδριο Ορθοδόξου Πνευματικότητας στην Μονή Μπόζε της Ιταλίας.
Στο μήνυμά του προς το συνέδριο, ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης αναφέρθηκε μεταξύ άλλων στην “εν Χριστώ ζωή” μέσα από την Ορθόδοξη πνευματική παράδοση, στην παρουσία της Φιλοκαλίας στα διάφορα στάδια της ζωής του Χριστιανού, ενώ ευχαρίστησε τη μοναστική κοινότητα του Μπόζε για τις προσπάθειές της στην προώθηση των πλούσιων θησαυρών της ορθόδοξης πνευματικότητας και στη συμβολή της στην καλλιέργεια ενός οικουμενικού πνεύματος.
Το μήνυμα του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη
It is our pleasure to greet the participants of the 27th International Ecumenical Conference on Orthodox Spiritualityorganized by the Monastery of Bose in collaboration with local Orthodox Churches, which will take place from September4-, 2019, and have the theme: “Called to life in Christ: In the Church, in the world, in the present time.” As we have beeninformed by the organizers, the aim of the Conference is to rediscover the depth and strength of the call to Christian lifein the Church, in the world and in history, by listening to Orthodox spiritual tradition, and by exploring the Orthodoxtheology of monastic vocation and life, as well as of marriage and family, the special charisma and service of women inthe life of the Church, the meaning of a communal life, the presence and love of beauty (Philokalia), and Christian hopeat different stages of life, especially in the face of illness, suffering and death.The theme of “Life in Christ” is, indeed, one of central importance in Orthodox Spirituality. As Saint Nicholas Cabasilas, awell-known citizen of 14th century Thessaloniki, as well as of the Queen of Cities — who united his political and socialengagement with a deep mystical contemplation on the mystery of Christ — has admirably exposed in a treatise with thesame title, a life in Christ is initiated and sustained by the sacraments of the Church, which manifest the Church Herselfand unite us with the Mystical Body of Christ.This treatise, according to Fr. Georges Florovsky, properly summarizes the doctrine of the Eastern Church on thesacraments. Since spirituality means life in the Holy Spirit, which is granted to us by Christ in the Holy Sacraments, agenuine experience of spirituality is therefore lived within the Church. For this reason, we always ought to be incommunion with the Church and work for the unity of Christians everywhere, being continually nourished by theunbroken unity of the Body of Christ.We once again thank the Monastic Community of Bose for its tireless efforts in promoting the rich treasures of Orthodoxspirituality and for its contributions toward the cultivation of an ecumenical spirit. Wishing all of you — the participants ofthe 27th International Ecumenical Conference on Orthodox Spirituality — fruitful deliberations and thoughtful insights, wereiterate our unconditional paternal love and bestow upon you our Patriarchal blessings.BartolomeoArchbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical PatriarchFanar, 31 august 2019