The President of the Boubouras Foundation, Pandelis Boubouras visits Vienna for a series of grand Orthodoxy events
Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, exclaimed “it was a great day in history for Orthodoxy” in his statement for the AMNA, regarding the long-standing ceremonies in Vienna last Tuesday where he participated in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the official recognition of the Orthodox Church by the Austrian federal law, but also the opening of the new chapel of Saint John Chrysostom and the inauguration ceremony of the hall of events, dedicated to Rigas Feraios, at the Holy Metropolis of Austria.
The Ecumenical Patriarch had a one-hour meeting with Austria's new federal chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, who during their meeting discussed the global political situation, stressing the importance of the presence of Orthodoxy in Austria and the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate internationally.
Last Tuesday's ceremonies were attended by representatives of the Austrian state, the President of the Austrian Parliament, Wolfgang Sobotka, numerous church leaders and representatives, including the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodoros II, as well as Vatican's Cardinal and President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Kurt Koch. The President of the Boubouras Foundation, Mr. Pantelis Boubouras and his wife Mrs. Theodora Bouboura, who were invited by the Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Mid-Europe, Arsenios, were also present at this event. Additionally, participating in the event was the Greek Ambassador in Austria, Mrs. Chrysoula Alifeiri, Cypriot Ambassador, Marios Ieronymides, ambassadors from other countries, representatives of Austrian public life and hundreds of believers.
The ceremonies began with the opening of the Chapel of St. John Chrysostom by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who was the first to create a German-speaking parish in Constantinople in the 4th century. The Chapel is now the third Greek Orthodox temple in Vienna, near the two historic places, the temple of St. George and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. In this chapel, the German-speaking believers of the Holy Metropolis of Vienna will be able to attend mass every Sunday in the German language.
After the Great Vespers at the historic temple of Saint George, a grandiose event took place in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Austrian parliamentary voting, on the 14th of July 1967, of the federal law of the official recognition of the Orthodox Church and the co-coordinating role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its representative in the country, with the official recognition of the Holy Metropolis of Austria as a Legal Entity of Public Law.
In his greeting, the Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Mid-Europe, Arsenios, referring to the past and present contribution of Orthodoxy and the 1967 Law which commenced a new era for it, pointed out that the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Patriarch of Alexandria at the celebration of the anniversary was a great honor.
Historians and representatives of the Austrian state gave noteworthy speeches on the topic of Byzantium and the history of the two Greek Communities of Vienna, referring to their significant contributions to the Austrian economy and culture as well as the Orthodox Church’s influence towards strengthening and deepening the Christian authorities in the country.
The Vatican Cardinal and the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Kurt Koch conveyed the words of Pope Francis, and presented the personal donation of 100,000 euros from the prefect of the Roman Catholic Church for the construction of the first Orthodox monastery in Sankt Andrä am Zicksee of the Austrian federal state of Burgenland, in the area granted by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Holy Metropolis of Austria.
The anniversary event was culminated with the speech of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who emphasized the importance of the Austrian Federal Law on Orthodoxy as a model in Europe for state and church relations, pointing to the need to move along the path of truth and love along with other churches. He also referred to the synergy of the Orthodox churches and the Republic of Austria, while voicing his gratitude to Pope Francis for the donation to build the Orthodox monastery, announcing that he will visit Rome this coming May, where he will have his eighth consecutive meeting with the forerunner of the Roman Catholic Church in consolidating the friendship and the bonds of the churches.
The Ecumenical Patriarch inaugurated the Holy Metropolis’s new hall of events, marking the 220 year anniversary since the death the great visionary and hero of the National Revolution, Rigas Feraios. While, in an earlier speech at the International Conference of Peace between Religions and Cultures in Vienna, organized by the International "KAICIID Dialogue Center", the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized the role of religion as a basis for spreading peace and mutual understanding between people and cultures, in the face of increasing secularism and fundamentalism in today's world.
