At the General Reception and Dinner on the Occasion of the 18th Anniversary of His Enthronement as Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch

Address of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW

Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church
Holy Metropolis of New Jersey
Annapolis, Maryland
November 2, 2009

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Your Eminences Archbishop Demetrios of America and
Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey,
Your Eminences and Graces,
Reverend Clergy of the Holy Archdiocese of America,
Beloved Children in the Lord,

God is love. Eighteen years ago today, with these simple yet most profound words, the words of the Holy Evangelist John (I John 4:8), we inaugurated our Apostolic ministry as Ecumenical Patriarch.

Today, our heart is full of gratitude as share this special occasion in our life as Ecumenical Patriarch with you, the blessed spiritual children of the Mother Church Constantinople.

Before continuing, this would be appropriate moment to recall the historical ministry and to pray for the repose of our exceptional predecessors, the great visionary Athenagoras who also served this Archdiocese so faithfully, as well as the meek and spiritual Dimitrios, whom we accompanied during his official visit to this country in the previous year of our election and enthronement. We also remember our beloved Archbishop Iakovos, who came from the Mother Church to guide you for nearly four decades.

This official visit to the sacred Archdiocese and the esteemed Metropolis of New Jersey in this unique nation of the United States of America, combined with this generous event and gracious feast for the anniversary of our enthronement, is undoubtedly the most appropriate way of celebration. We have already concluded the 8^th international and interdisciplinary ecological symposium on the Mississippi River and in the city of New Orleans, where we gathered theologians and scientists, leaders of the religious and the political world, as well as media representatives from throughout the world and nationally, in order to explore the environmental problems of the “great river” and their impact on regional and global climate conditions.

We have also concluded our visit to New York, where we had the opportunity to meet with religious, political and academic leaders in order to share our concerns about the crucial issues that plague our world, such as religious tolerance, human rights, and the battle to overcome poverty.

Throughout, we have had the overwhelming joy of meeting with faithful of our Archdiocese, recognizing the extraordinary ministry of our parishes in this land, and extending to them our patriarchal and paternal blessing. Therefore, we admit that we could not imagine a more fitting way of remembering and rejoicing in this day, and we are sincerely grateful to you for this evening.

Nevertheless, celebration in our Orthodox tradition and spirituality is never disconnected from the way of the Cross. Ours is a spirituality of “joyful sorrow,” as St. John of the Ladder reminds us. We do not, for example, rejoice without recalling and sharing in the suffering of others. And, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we can certainly never experience joy without remembering that we embody the tradition of a Church that has known both glory and martyrdom through the centuries.

More importantly, however, in celebrating the anniversary of our enthronement today, as your spiritual father and Patriarch, there is something else that comes to mind and to which we would like to bring your attention at this moment. A celebration for a spiritual father and bishop is also a remembrance that the bishop, too, is a child of God and a son of the Church. For there is only one father that all of us have in heaven. The bishop – whether an Assistant bishop, a Metropolitan, an Archbishop, or an Ecumenical Patriarch – is also, first and foremost, a servant of the Church and not a just a leader. Indeed, insofar as the bishop is a genuine servant, he is also an inspiring leader; insofar as the bishop submits entirely to the will of God, he is also able to direct others safely in the will of God; insofar as he is a devoted son of the Church, he is also able to be a compassionate father of the Church.

Therefore, as we stand before you this evening celebrating – somewhat like a child might celebrate a birthday – we are deeply grateful to God our Father, and personally grateful also to you as our spiritual children, for giving us this opportunity to remember that we, too, are a child committed to a ministry within the Church as your spiritual guide and as Ecumenical Patriarch.

May our Triune God Who is worshipped – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – bless all of you and your families, this beloved parish of Saints Constantine and Helen, the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Our mission is love. Our message is love. Our heart is filled and blessed with love for all of you, for truly, God is love.

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