The Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy is going to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the election of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as the 50th anniversary of its foundation and the 20th anniversary of the opening of its Institute of Postgraduate Studies, on 22-24 April 2017.
The Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was founded in June 1966. Its aims, as written in its Patriarchal and Synodic founding Tome, are:
– to inform the Christian world of the West, and especially of Western Europe, about the Orthodox worship and the Orthodox teaching, tradition and Theology;
– to study the theology and spiritual life of other Christian Churches and Confessions;
– to assist the communication between the local Orthodox Churches, and thus to promote orthodox unity;
– to promote the ecumenical spirit through the cultivation of relationships between Orthodoxy and other Christian Churches and Confessions aiming to promote the inter-christian unity.
The program of the festivities is as follow:
Saturday, 22 April 2017
10:30 Opening: Byzantine Hymns of Resurrection.
Addresses
10:45 Address of His Eminence Metropolitan Jeremiah of Switzerland, Director of the Orthodox Center, to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
11:00 Address of the Permanent Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the WCC, His Excellency Archbishop Job of Telmessos, on Inter-ecclesial relations.
11:15 Address of His Grace Bishop Makarios of Lampsakos, Chaplain of the Institute, on the liturgical and spiritual life of the students of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies.
11:30 Address of the Rector of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Vlassios Phidas, on Inter-orthodox relations.
11:45 Address of Prof. K. Delikostantis of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies on the Patriarch of ecological and social responsibility.
12:00 Address of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
12h45 Closure. Polychronion (Many years) to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
13:00 Reception at the Orthodoxe Center.
17:00 Vespers.
Sunday, 23 April 2017
10:00 Patriarcal Divine Liturgy at the Holy Stavropegic Church of St. Paul, the Apostle of Nations.
13:00 Official meal in honor of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva.
Monday, 24 April 2017
12:00 Inauguration of a photography exhibition of Mr. N. Manginas at the Ecumenical Center of the WCC celebrating the 25th anniversary of the election of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
18:15 Official Visit and Public Conference of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew at the University of Fribourg on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies of the Orthodox Center.