"All of you are indispensable members of this responsible body of the Church - bishops and presbyters, clergy and laity, men and women, young and old," said His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his paternal and patriarchal exhortation to the members of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that had gathered in New York City for their regularly scheduled Fall meeting.
The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his "special pride" and "sincere gratitude" for the achievements of the Archdiocesan Council and the Church in America, for the "unfailing commitment" of the members and for their "fervent love for Christ and His teachings."
As His All Holiness spoke of the long and uninterrupted tradition of the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople and as he offered his Patriarchal Blessing upon the members exhorted them: "...never lose sight of two things: First, of your sacred and historical roots, which lie in the Mother Church of Constantinople, which has known glory and martyrdom alike over the centuries, and to this day maintains the unity, sanctity, catholicity and apostolicity of the Orthodox Christian Church; And second, of your spiritual and heavenly goal, which lies in the Kingdom of God, to which all of our actions and our ministry should aspire."
Following his exhortation to the Archdiocesan Council His All Holiness offered a private audience to the National Philoptochos Executive Committee, during which he expressed the gratification of the Mother Church for the important philanthropic work of the National Ladies Philoptochos Society.
Later in the day, His All Holiness attended a Luncheon in his honor by the Permanent representative of Turkey to the United Nations, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan.
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Stavros Papagermanos
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Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Addresses the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council
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NEW YORK - Archbishop Demetrios of America welcomed His All Holiness to a unique session of the Archdiocesan Council yesterday morning, attended by more than 100 members, all the Metropolitans of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the Auxiliary Bishops and Metropolitans Athanasios Geron of Chalchedon and Emmanuel of France accompanying His All Holiness.