XI DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE GROUP OF THE EUROPEAN
PEOPLE’S PARTY (CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) AND EUROPEAN DEMOCRATS
16-17 OCTOBER 2008, IASI, ROMANIA
INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE BASED
ON COMMON VALUES AS A TOOL FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN EUROPE
Intervention by Latchezar
Toshev, MP, Bulgaria
Union of Democratic Forces
There is no Christianity without Christ
Your Beatitude,
Eminences,
Reverend Fathers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Members of the European Parliament
and of National Parliaments from EPP,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honored to participate for the fifth time in this Dialogue between
the Group of EPP-ED in the European Parliament and the Orthodox Church.
I would like to express my thanks for the invitation to His All Holiness
the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and the President of the EPP-ED Group in
European parliament Mr. Joseph Daul, The Romanian Orthodox Church and His
Beatitude Patriarch Daniel I, the Romanian hosts-specially to Mr. Marian
Marinescu-MEP, which invited us here in the city of Iasi
where there are the relics of St. Paraskeva - deeply respected by all
Bulgarians too. Her Holy relics have been mostly respected and glorified in
then Bulgarian capital Veliko Turnovo during the Second Bulgarian
Kingdom (12-14 Century
A.D.).
Let me first underline the importance of this Dialogue and to wish its
further continuation and even a development into a network of National
Dialogues in these states of EU in which the Orthodox Churches are the
predominant religion. Why not to do the same also in the applicant states and
the New Neighborhood where there are also influential Orthodox Churches?
According to me, it would be appropriate to have additional publications in
these countries on the themes of the Dialogue, and in this way to have this
Dialogue not only on annual base, but also as a permanent initiative.
And these National Dialogues should stay under the umbrella of the
European Dialogue organized by EPP-ED Group and the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
which will give the opportunity to exchange ideas between the National
Dialogues. I sincerely hope that, His All Holiness Archbishop of
Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I-st will bless
the continuation of the Dialogue and its enlargement, as well as to participate
actively in it, as it was until now. His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch
has not had administrative power over the autocephalic orthodox churches.
He has had a right to arbitrate some complaints of the Orthodox Community in accordance with Art.9 and Art.17 of the Rules of the Church adopted by IV-th Ecumenical Synod (Assembly), held in Chalcedon in the year 451 A.D. But he is deeply respected and first in dignity among the all-equal Orthodox Bishops of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. That is why he has the opportunity to promote discussions within the whole Orthodox Community.
He has had a right to arbitrate some complaints of the Orthodox Community in accordance with Art.9 and Art.17 of the Rules of the Church adopted by IV-th Ecumenical Synod (Assembly), held in Chalcedon in the year 451 A.D. But he is deeply respected and first in dignity among the all-equal Orthodox Bishops of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. That is why he has the opportunity to promote discussions within the whole Orthodox Community.
The Process for mutual respect and tolerance which was initiated in His
Monastery Vlatadon in Thessaloniki
and His participation in the Dialogue with EPP-ED Group, which would not be
possible without Him, are excellent examples in this respect and that we all
highly appreciate.
This is the appropriate place to say that Turkey has no right to contest the
title of the Ecumenical Patriarch, because the styles of the Orthodox Church
and of any other churches are church's affair and the state has no right to
intervene in it!
The European People's Party is a secular party, which advocates that the
Christian values should be guiding principles in the formation of the European
society seeing EU as a Union of Values!
The Christian Democrats in Europe has
often had as their opponents in the field of bioethics, medical ethics and
family related issues, education, etc. socialists, liberals and supporters of
utilitarianisms.
But the principle of tolerance between the religious and ethnical groups
is important almost for all political parties. In particular for Europe, the Dialogue “Christianity – Islam”, which
purpose is to achieve tolerance between these two worldwide religions and
respect for the commonly accepted principles, is under public attention today.
To be all one with Christ is the principle of the Church.
And such a Dialogue is not an apostasy from this principle, because it
has no the purpose to change the faith. It aims to achieve normal, tolerant
relations into the society.
“To be one with(in) Christ”
neither can be replaced by “To be one even without Christ”, nor to replace
Christ with the imagination about Him. It is obviously that there is no Christianity
without Christ! There is no Religion without God.
Moral values of society take their legitimacy from the God and the whole
moral system of values would be ruined and destroyed without God. Religion is
in the ground of morals and values of the society.
That is why it is important education on religion as secular discipline
to be introduced in the school curricula. It would give cognition on faith, but
would not give faith. The second part - faith has to be cultivated and
developed by the Church itself, but not by the state.
An Orthodox Christian, for example, cannot hate anyone else due to the
fact that he or she is ethnically different, because God was who created men -
all men - and this particular person is his brother or sister. To hate someone
because he or she was born different, it means to accuse God.
And the Christian could not take such anti-Christian position.
And the Christian could not take such anti-Christian position.
Ethnophilethism is a Heresy in the Orthodox Church! The Church is not an
ethnocentric community!
The Orthodox Church has never imposed its faith! There have never been crusades! It has never burned heretics! Because the imposed choice has been considered as not valid! The personal freedom has been respected as a core value in the Orthodox doctrine, and today it implements as a core principle in EU, too.
The Orthodox Church has never imposed its faith! There have never been crusades! It has never burned heretics! Because the imposed choice has been considered as not valid! The personal freedom has been respected as a core value in the Orthodox doctrine, and today it implements as a core principle in EU, too.
Here it comes the example with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
During the Middle Ages it condemned, but never persecuted the heretics,
after 1915 it cordially accepted the 20 000 Armenian refugees from Turkey,
and during the Holocaust – in 1943 it rescued nearly 50 000 Bulgarian Jews
from their deportation to the death camps. By active deeds - not by a
declaration!
This act of humanity was very risky and was demonstrated towards people who are ethnically and religiously different.
This act of humanity was very risky and was demonstrated towards people who are ethnically and religiously different.
That is why it is so important these values to be made known in society
and to be commonly accepted as universal principles.
The Orthodox Christianity is able to contribute to the society spreading
its values between the United Europe and the whole world.
Let’s build together in this way our world and our society with greater
tolerance and social cohesion, thanks to the Christian values!
