St Luke Soc

“First Pastoral Letter from Patriarch JOHN X: Vision for the Patriarchate of Antioch Patriarch John X (Yazigi) of Antioch   The following pastoral letter was distributed on February 17, 2013, after the enthronement celebrations for Patriarch JOHN X. What follows is the official English translation: In Grace we grow, In service we transcend And in love the structure is strengthened With the Mercy of God JOHN X Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Preaching is the backbone of the mission of the Church and the essence of its identity. This means the Church should carry the Word to all of humanity with the view of reviving it. Preaching and ministering for the Word cannot be achieved by returning to old things, nor by clinging to a glorious past, nor by holding to an external tradition which is no longer of value. They are achieved and they become a reality to the extent they participate in the divine grace and live the tradition in a living dynamic way. We should think seriously how the Church can be heard in an age which boasts of its knowledge and material achievements, how the Church can dialogue with people, how to invite them to salvation, and how it can strengthen those who have believed in the mystery of their salvation. In order for a Christian to accomplish his mission inside society, he needs first to accept and love this society, even if it contains dangerous trends, even if it is corrupt and evil, and even if its values conflict with the Christian conscience. We should express the truth of our faith and our ministry of the Word in contemporaneous language resorting to technologies, without being estranged from our children and societies. It is important to use modern platforms to preach the Word. These platforms have transformed the wide world into a small village, by abolishing geographical boundaries and removing the obstacles between cultures. Modern media can help bring the Gospel to the people, as they can alienate them from it. We have therefore to offer a new and correct vision in addressing the affairs of this world, by working on improving the administration of the Patriarchal properties and lands, by developing their investments, by keeping all of the possessions within the framework of our religious law, harmonizing its administration with the expectations of the Church and the welfare of the community. And in order for our philanthropic institutions, schools, university, and hospitals, to shine with the divine light, that is always present in them, each of these institutions, be it small or large, should seek to have a clear vision of its service. It should define its raison d’etre, and have a clear plan of action leading to the realization of its goals according to a well studied methodology elaborated by specialists. The specialists are expected to gather the necessary data, to analyze it, to explain it,and to crystallize it in a manner that it can serve everyone, that we may repeat with the Apostle, “therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as the wise” (Eph 5: 14). And in order for our philanthropic institutions, schools, university, and hospitals, to shine with the divine light, that is always present in them, each of these institutions, be it small or large, should seek to have a clear vision of its service. It should define its raison d’etre, and have a clear plan of action leading to the realization of its goals according to a well studied methodology elaborated by specialists. The specialists are expected to gather the necessary data, to analyze it, to explain it,and to crystallize it in a manner that it can serve everyone, that we may repeat with the Apostle, “therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as the wise” (Eph 5: 14). 4-A The believing people, as a royal priesthood, are called to this divine mission to snatch the world away from its worldliness and bring it closer to God. Therefore, we shall work to activate the potential of individuals and institutions, in order to show the gifts that God has endowed his people with in all fields -theology, science, literature, arts, etc. Our interest in the history of our Church, and its landmarks is to show the particularities of the witness which we are supposed to fulfill. We pray for Antioch, despite the sufferings of today, to continue to witness through all its children, to the authenticity of its faith and to the centrality of incarnation in its thought. 8-An Approach to our Contemporaneous Modern Reality: The Church of Antioch played a prominent role throughout history in conciliating varying points of view. 10-The Dialogue of Religions: What we have said about our relations with the other Christian Churches applies equally on our relations with other religions, especially at a time when religions are used to categorize people and sow conflicts and divisions among them. Our Antiochian history is full of examples showing that we have always rejected any such categorizations and divisions with other religions, or with compatriots in the same country. Throughout the centuries, we, as Antiochian Church, believe in living together; and we practice this belief fully. Because man is the focus of all religions, we have to nurture in him the love of the other and not just accepting him. We should also teach not only to take this into consideration, but also to serve him in addition. Our Antiochian history is full of examples showing that we have always rejected any such categorizations and divisions with other religions, or with compatriots in the same country. Throughout the centuries, we, as Antiochian Church, believe in living together; and we practice this belief fully. Because man is the focus of all religions, we have to nurture in him the love of the other and not just accepting him. We should also teach not only to take this into consideration, but also to serve him in addition. Hence our Church today, as in the past, works for continuing the dialogue with everyone, on the basis of mutual respect, of equality and of the acceptance of differences. This is reflected in our vision of the role we are invited to play. We, as Christians, reject profanization, because it creates an estrangement between the world and its Creator. We believe, however; that we are called to convey the love of the Creator to the world, completing in service the work of His love. Our vision of man is based on the fact the he is created on the image and resemblance of God, and is called to be deified because of the grace which was bestowed upon him by the incarnation. These realities were offered by Antioch to the world since the dawn of Christianity. Our vision of man is based on the fact the he is created on the image and resemblance of God, and is called to be deified because of the grace which was bestowed upon him by the incarnation. These realities were offered by Antioch to the world since the dawn of Christianity. Today we are keen to strengthen this social presence as an integral part of our work in the Church. The first social circle which is of great interest to us all is the Arab society. We are here the children of the East.”

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