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| Volos Academy for Theological Studies Meets with His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens Ieronymus |
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On Friday, December 2, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, headed by its Chairman, His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias, met with the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymus in the Archepiscopal Hall in order to update him on the membership of the Academy’s Board of Directors as well as the Academy’s recent activities and future plans.
The meeting took place in a cordial and mutually constructive
atmosphere. The Metropolitan of Demetrias, after thanking the Archbishop
for his multifaceted support of the Academy’s work, went on to say that
the Volos Academy, while not the Church’s official pulpit, nevertheless
constitutes a place of fertile reflection and serious discussion about
the essentials of theology and about the Church’s presence in and
witness to the contemporary world. Also represented at the meeting—apart
from the Metropolitan of Demetrias, who serves ex officio as its
Chairman—were members of the Academy’s Board, which includes: the
Academy’s Director, Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis; Rev Dr Gregorios Papathomas, Professor of the Theological School of the University of Athens and the Orthodox Institute of St. Sergius in Paris, as well as President of the European Forum of Orthodox Schools of Theology; Dr Christos Karakolis, Assistant Professor of the Theological School of the University of Athens; Dr Angeliki Ziaka, Assistant Professor of the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Dr Aikaterini Tsalampouni, Lecturer of the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Mr Stavros Zoumboulakis, Director of the journal “Nea Hestia” and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the “Artos Zois” Foundation; Rev Dr Dimitrios Bathrellos, teaching at the Hellenic Open University and Visiting Lecturer of the Orthodox Institute of Cambridge; and finally, Rev Dr Christos Chachamidis, priest of the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias.
Dr. Kalaitzidis, in his capacity as Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, then briefed the Archbishop about the activities and events currently being prepared, including, in particular, a one-day conference on the question of the language in worship, a roundtable discussion on the economic crisis, a public lecture on the patristic teaching about theosis, a seminar on the reception of Palamism in the West today, and finally, a major conference which will be co-hosted by the Academy in collaboration with seven other Orthodox institutions on the burning issue of “Ecclesiology and Nationalism,” which is so vital for the unity of the Orthodox world.
The Archbishop voiced his pleasure and satisfaction with the Volos Academy’s rich and fruitful activity, and once again expressed his support and appreciation for the pioneering work being done in Volos. He also noted that, in the fluid and unpredictable period in which we are now living, the Church needs voices like those of the Volos Academy, and for this reason he encouraged its officers to continue along the same path, disregarding the unfair attacks against it.
At the end of the meeting, the Metropolitan of Demetrias and the Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies presented to the Archbishop a collection of the Academy’s publications in Greek as well as foreign languages, and invited him to again attend and speak at one of its upcoming events. |
