Sermon by Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm at the funeral of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania

Sermon by the World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm at the funeral of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania.

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ, who is “the resurrection and the life”.  We gather today in sorrow, and at the same time in deep gratitude, as we commend the soul of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania into the eternal embrace of our risen Lord.

The Tax Collector who wished to see Christ

by Archpriest Dr Georgios Lekkas

If we share Zacchaeus’s longing to see Christ and, like him, we do everything in our power to achieve it, we can be certain that, sooner or later, we will see Christ looking back at us. He will call us by name, just as He called Zacchaeus, and He will remain with us, just as He did with His disciples at Emmaus immediately after His Resurrection.

Address By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew – Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Monday, January 27, 2025)

Your Excellency Theodoros Roussopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,

Congratulations for your unanimous re-election this morning. We wish you a fruitful tenure, as it was your first one as President of this auspicious body. Moy God strengthen you in your responsible ministry.

Your Excellencies, 

Your Eminences, 

Esteemed dignitaries and beloved friends,

It is a unique privilege and special joy to address you, especially in such a significant day, on which we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. We are deeply honored that we are here once again, after 2007, at this prestigious meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, an international organization committed to upholding and promoting the fundamental principles of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law—namely, all that defines the culture of integrity, freedom, and justice. Moreover, it is a particular honor to be here with so many eminent members of this assembly, along with other dignitaries and foreign diplomats. 

Repentance that unites us with Christ

By Fr Georgios Lekkas

Jesus Christ begins His work in the world precisely where John the Baptist left off, as evidenced by the fact that He starts His teaching ministry with the exact words of John: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).