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The Homily by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at Lyons

on heresies and the union...

An excerpt from the newspaper "Orthodox Press" dated 24-7-2009, p.5

Source: http://thriskeftika.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_31.html

"We have come to Lyons, from Constantinople, the Fanarion, which is the paternal domicile ofall of us - our home! And we are conveying the love, the wishes, and the blessing of theMother Church! We have come here to see your cherished faces, and to rejoice over yourdiligence...."These were the words of the Ecumenical Patriarch in his address to the members of theOrthodox Greek community of the French city, which in the distant past used to be a colonyof Rhodos islanders.

"We are also certain that, under the watchful pastoral care of your good Shepherd andbeloved brother and our co-celebrant, the Most Venerable Metropolitan of France, fatherEmmanuel, as well as your pious Priests from time to time, you have been fighting to preserveas the apple of your eye the heritage of your fathers - that is, the Orthodox Christian Faith -thanks to the holy Martyrs of Lyons who had sacrificed their life blood (along of course withmillions of others all over the world, from antiquity through to our time) on the one hand,and on the other hand, thanks to the great Hellenic cultural tradition, language andcivilization, which are - one way or another - embodied in the foundations of contemporaryEurope's civilization...."He then mentioned the presence of other Primates and representatives of local Orthodox

Churches, at the splendid commemorative and celebratory Divine Liturgy.

"The presence of the representatives of the other Orthodox Churches in today's Divine Liturgyunderlines precisely this truth: That we Orthodox are all one home, one soul, one heart, onemouth - regardless of national descent and linguistic or cultural differences! This,unfortunately, is not the case with all those who confess faith in Christ in general....."The Primate of Orthodoxy spoke of the fallacy, the schisms, the divisions, which are the waysthat the Body of the Church causes grief:

"Since we do not have a common dogmatic teaching and confession with them, we cannothave a common Eucharist and a common Chalice either - which grieves us deeply, but ChristHimself is grieved far more - Who had said that He desired that we all be one, just as He isone, with the Father and the Holy Spirit....."It is within this framework, as the Ecumenical Patriarch explained, that the Orthodox Church'sdialogue with heterodox churches and confessions is taking place, in an attempt to heal thedivisions.

"We are obeying the duty of love, by conversing honestly and responsibly with those who arenot in the bosom of the Orthodox Church and thereafter letting the Holy Spirit act as He seesfit. It is our duty to not isolate ourselves egotistically within our self-sufficiency, thus puttingourselves at risk - along with those who "possess the truth in unrighteousness" - because thetreasure of the Truth, which we have inherited, potentially belongs to everyone and the morewho become its communicants, the more will the Body of Christ increase and the greater will

our wages be by the Lord!...."After his reminder that the first throne of the Church of Orthodoxy participates in the Councilof European Churches which was established 50 years ago and its 13th Convention is underway since last Thursday in Lyons, Patriarch Bartholomew noted:

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"In the multi-faceted crisis of our day: moral, social, environmental, financial and - mainly -spiritual, we Christians do not have any margin for despair! Christ, His Gospel, His Church,are blameless and they are our certain hope! And we should embosom that hope: not onlyEuropeans, but all the peoples of earth! Pray, my brethren and children in Christ, that theHoly Spirit may lead every person towards the light of that hope!...."On completing his homily, he blessed and prayed one more time for the Orthodox Greek

community to continue its splendid course into the future. The Ecumenical Patriarch is inLyons since Saturday, in order to participate in the events that are taking place within theframework of the 13th Convention of European Churches and the completion of 50 yearsfrom the founding of the Council of European Churches. He was received at the airport by theMetropolitan of France Emmanuel and the Archbishop of Lyons, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin,who in 2004 with the blessing of Pope John-Paul II had travelled to Constantinople for aspecial reason. In a symbolic, but full of meaning gesture, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, on the13th of April 2004 - the 800-year anniversary of the first sacking of Constantinople -publicly asked the forgiveness of the Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate andPatriarch Bartholomew for the destruction that was caused to the City by the Crusaders of the4th Crusade in 1204.

The ceremony took place in the Hall of the Patriarchal Throne at Fanarion, immediately afterthe special Divine Liturgy, which was officiated with the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarchin the venerable Patriarchal church of Saint George.

Translation by: A. N.