Zappeion, May 29, 2024
Evangelos Venizelos,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Professor of Constitutional Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Farewell Dinner Address at the 1st Summit of Global Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Your Eminence Metropolitan Geron Emmanuel Of Chalcedon
Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America,
Most Reverend Metropolitans and Bishops,
Your Excellences,
Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Throne,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. I consider it a great honor to have the opportunity to address the Archons of the Ecumenical Throne, the body of οφφικιάλιοι blessed by the Ecumenical Patriarch and called upon to unite in defending the rights of the Holy Great Church of Christ.
I express my warm thanks to the organizers, especially to father Alex, for the honor of inviting me as a speaker at this official dinner, in a symbolic place in Athens, Zappeion. A monument that refers to the great national benefactors through the historical personality of Evangelis Zappas and the revival of the Olympic Games.
As you know, Greece is celebrating this year the fiftieth anniversary of the Metapolitefsi, the restoration of democracy in 1974, unfortunately after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the occupation of the northern part of the island, but also is celebrating the twenty years since the bright Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
The 4th International Conference on Religious Freedom that was held in the past few days gathered international interest and I am glad that we are participating today in the closing of the 1st Global Summit of Archons.
You, honorable Archons, understand better than anyone that the office and title of archon represent a Cross of responsibility, a confession of faith, a devotion, a call to vigilance.
In addition, you are simultaneously leading figures of the Greek diaspora in the United States, Canada and Australia. The preservation of unity is the fundamental condition for the ability of the diaspora to intervene effectively in the political decision-making centers in favor of the interests of Hellenism. We watch you with admiration and pride for the position you have achieved in the society and economy of your countries and express our gratitude for your readiness, initiatives and actions.
2. It is significant that we are meeting today, May 29, a day of profound historical memory, the day of the fall of Constantinople. On this day, the West are invited to reflect on their historical debts to the Eastern Roman Empire, Byzantium and its culture. They are called upon to acknowledge Byzantium's contributions to the formation of the modern state and the promotion of enlightenment and modernity.
3. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is not only the mother church, the first throne of the Orthodox church that carries the ministry of primacy. It is also the ark of this historical legacy of Byzantium and the Eastern Roman Empire that lies at the foundations of Western civilization.
Ex oriente lux. From the East comes the light. Even through its fall the Eastern Roman Empire has co-shapes the values and historical background of the West which must now be relighted. Because this is the critical moment for the defense of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights that constitute Western legal and political civilization.
4. The war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East following the tragic events of October 7th have confronted us with the obligation to defend this tripartite foundation upon which the West is built as a strategic entity with Euro-American cooperation as its core.
Strategic cooperation is a fundamental historical obligation of both sides of the Atlantic Ocean regardless of internal political developments.
Greece hosting this summit is proud because it has a stable and strong position in the international and regional landscape as the oldest member state of the EU and NATO in the region and as a strategic partner of the United States and follows a clear line on the major open issues, the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East.
The historic initiative of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is primarily of a pastoral and ecclesiological nature. However, it also carries a critical dimension of international politics. It constitutes an essential element of Ukrainian identity and a response to the theory of the so-called Russian world.
5. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, which you serve as archons, embodies through all its initiatives the Orthodoxy of unity, peace, respect for the human person, and protection of nature and the environment. The testimony of the Ecumenical Patriarchate stands against the false theology that blesses war, violence, nationalism and authoritarianism.
For this reason, it is of utmost importance that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as an international spiritual and religious institution, is a legal entity protected by International Law and recognized by the European Union, the Council of Europe, the United Nations and other international organizations as a subject of religious freedom which is historically the foundation of the entire list of human rights.
The level of respect and protection of religious freedom in the world, as shown by the reports of international organizations and the US State Department, is tragically insufficient. In our time religious fundamentalism, violence in the name of religion and religious wars still dominate as problems. It is striking that our world is both postmodern and archaic. Phenomena such as religious hatred and developments in biotechnology co-exist.
Although religious freedom is historically and legally much more than religious tolerance, what is still crucial is tolerance towards the different, the other, the foreign.
Even inside the European Union, problems of religious freedom and even problems of religious tolerance and coexistence of religious communities are constantly appearing.
Religious freedom intersects with the issue of immigration and the integration of immigrants into European societies.The strict application of the rules of secularism is thus often used by national legislators or by the judiciary as the only solution in order to ensure social cohesion and inclusiveness and above all public order.
6. The Greek Constitution regulates the relationship between the Hellenic Republic and the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an entity of International Law on the basis of institutional equality. The two entities jointly establish the Charter of Mount Athos, and the canonical communion with the Holy Great Church of Christ is a condition for the Church of Greece to be recognized as the Church of the prevailing religion, the religion of the great majority of the Greek people.
However, these relations are placed within the framework of full respect for the religious freedom and equality of all citizens, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and also at the level of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning Greece has shaped the European level of protection of religious freedom which is comparable to that of the case law of the Supreme Court of the United States.
7. I am sure, or at least I hope, that the Turkish government realizes the advantage of hosting in its territory a religious entity with the spiritual authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the international importance of respecting its fundamental rights. The reopening of the Theological School of Halki and the respect of the leading emblematic monuments such as Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church are subjects of constant and intense global interest, as well as international obligation for every country member of the Council of Europe, the United Nations and UNESCO
8. It is sometimes argued that the Church is indifferent to the political regime in which it operates, or that human rights and their exercise are not important, the important is the renunciation from human rights in favor of God's rights. However, human rights as rights that highlight and protect the human person as the image of God are a practical and effective way to praise God for the gift of human life. Democracy as the only safe and effective institutional mechanism for inclusiveness, embodies communion, communication and political society functioning only when there are guarantees of the rule of law.
In jurisprudence, we assert that all the basic concepts of state and democracy theory have a theological origin. However, evolution is moving in both directions. Respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law can serve as the basis of a theological discourse that honors tradition while addressing contemporary needs and challenges of our time. This is the discourse of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his inspiring greeting to your 4th conference on religious freedom set the framework for the relations of Orthodox theology with the theory of human rights. Allow me to repeat the clear and courageous patriarchal wording: « We must understand once and for all that if we reject human rights outright, we deny an important part of our own humanitarian tradition. Clearly, the Church exhibits her Truth when she upholds human rights and not when she goes along with nationalistic ideologies.»
9. The political trinity of democracy, human rights and rule of law, unfortunately, does not prevail at the international level. The global landscape is dominated by authoritarianism and totalitarianism. Billions of people live without human rights and guarantees of the rule of law. Our Western perception is in the minority. We may think that our understanding of human rights, democracy and the rule of law has universal validity, but the reality is unfortunately different. The global correlation of forces is not favorable neither for maintaining peace nor for dealing with the two biggest challenges: the climate crisis and the management of artificial intelligence.
The climate crisis calls into question our relationship with the earth itself and therefore with Creation. Artificial intelligence multiplies the potential of the human mind, but we risk pushing it to the brink of blasphemy if rules are not set.
But let me avoid generalities and platitudes.
What is at stake is the very nature of the human being, while unfortunately the fundamental achievements of our civilization are no longer taken for granted.
In such a troubled, fragile, and precarious world, strong and reliable voices of spirituality advocating for peace, human rights and the salvation of the planet are urgently needed.
10. This message is conveyed by the humble Phanari, led by His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a religious leader of international stature and global acceptance.
The path of the thirty-two years of the ministry of Patriarch Bartholomew constitutes an ecclesiastical, theological and historical acquisition that goes far beyond the limits of Orthodoxy and Hellenism. It has acquired truly universal dimensions and has opened new chapters in the international debate.
You, the Archons of the throne, are his συγκηρυναίοι, his defenders and helpers. You not only possess the blessing of the Holy Great Church of Christ but also the favor of history, which has bestowed upon you this privilege.
Allow me to extend my congratulations, gratitude, and best wishes for maximum success in your mission.
