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Important issues Δελτία Τύπου International Ecumenical Conference on Peace, Kingston, Jamaica
Important issues Δελτία Τύπου International Ecumenical Conference on Peace, Kingston, Jamaica | International Ecumenical Conference on Peace, Kingston, Jamaica |
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 An international ecumenical conference on peace, organized by the World Council of Churches to conclude “The Decade to Overcome Violence,” is being held in Jamaica from May 17-25.
Within the framework of the conference there are a wide variety of open meetings and workshops being held which are seeking, through diverse perspectives, to highlight the Christian confessions’ perspectives on particular issues related to the universal call for peace in the world—issues such as the market economy, environmental problems, oppression of women and vulnerable groups, the role of education in peace, etc., as well as the presentation of experiences from local traditions and communities (e.g., Haiti, Cuba, etc.), and the way in which all of these are connected with the need for peace.
It should be noted that representatives of churches and Christian confessions from all over the world are participating in this conference, which is being held at the university in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Academy for Theological
Studies of the Metropolis of Demetrias is participating in this
conference with the presence of its director, Dr. Pantelis Kalaïtzidis
and members of its academic group, Nicholas Asproulis and Katerina
Pekridou.
 Dr. Kalaitzidis is participating, by invitation, as main presenter, together with Fr. Dimitri Sizorenko of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Patriarchate of Moscow (who presented some thoughts on how peace should be understood, e.g. in relation to the kingdom of God by the Church), in the workshop entitled "The Role of the Orthodox Church in the Achievement of Peace," which took place Saturday, May 21 (2:00-5:00 pm). The text of his speech, entitled "Nationalism as a Force of Division and Conflict,” attempted a critical evaluation of the role of nationalism as a factor which leads to the idolization of particular national homelands and local traditions, thus causing unresolved problems in the catholicity and unity of the Church,  which has been evidenced in history by the conflicts that took palce between the Orthodox Churches. The workshop featured, among others, Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria (Church of Cyprus), Professor Petros Vassiliadis of the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis, professor at the Greek Orthodox school of Holy Cross in Boston, and Tamara Grdzelidze, Orthodox representative on the “Faith and Order” Commission of the WCC. The workshop was moderated by Elizabeth Prodromou, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University and a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on religious freedom in the world.
Within the conference, the Academy for Theological Studies of the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias organized, on May 23, its own workshop under the title “Theology of Peace: An Orthodox Perspective.” This workshop focused on the presentation of and commentary on the Academy’s recent book “And on earth peace…”: A Vision and a Call for the People and Churches Today (Indiktos, 2010), and featured as speakers Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis (professor at the theological school of Holy Cross in Boston, MA, USA), Rastko Jovic (theologian from the Church of Serbia), Dr. Pantelis Kalaïtzidis (director of the Academy), and Nicholas Asproulis (member of the academic team).
Dr. Kalaïtzidis opened the workshop with a brief overview of the work and activities of the Academy for Theological Studies, focusing particularly on the conferences and workshops held by the Academy in recent years which were related to issues of peace, especially the upcoming conference on June 20-23, which will focus on the difficult situation in which the Christians of the Middle East find themselves.
 Next, Fr. Clapsis offered a brief review of the books and other contributions made by Orthodox theology and the Church in the last 20 years on the issue of peace, stressing in particular the groundbreaking importance of the new book for Greek-speaking Orthodox theology. R. Jovic commented on specific ideas presented in the book, noting, among other things, the need to first formulate a framework of peaceful relationships between the Orthodox Churches themselves, so that Orthodoxy can then preach, in unity, about the need for peace in the world. Jovic also underlined the eschatological foundation of the identity of the Church in relation to preaching about peace.
The workshop concluded with the detailed presentation by N. Asproulis of the individual chapters and themes in the book, as well as with further comments on the eschatological dimension of peace, which constitutes a gift from God and is offered proleptically by the Father through the Son in the Spirit here and now in history. The workshop was moderated by Professor Petros Vassiliadis of the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while throughout the workshop there was a visual presentation of images from the Academy for Theological Studies.
For more photos, click here .
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