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JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE PARTICIPATES AT THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PASTORAL HEALTH CARE IN RHODES

From Wednesday 28th September/11th October to 2nd/15th October 2017, at the Holy Metropolis of Rhodes, Jerusalem Patriarchate participated at the 4th International Conference of Pastoral Health Care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with its representative Nun Euphemia, who serves at the Jerusalem Patriarchate Website.

At this Conference the aforementioned Nun read the address of H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos as written below:

Most Reverend Metropolitan Cyril of Rhodes,

Most Reverend Archbishops,

Reverend Fathers,

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

The Venerable Jerusalem Patriarchate salutes with great joy the beginning of the 4th International Conference of Pastoral Health Care, which is successfully organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the topic “Rekindling Hope – Finding hope in the difficulties of life”. We are also glad as we participate in this Conference for the first time by the invitation of His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

 

Undeniably the role of the Church in health care has always been determinant and pioneering; since the early Byzantine years, with the initiative of the Church, General Hospitals, Hospitals for the Mentally ill, Hospitals for the lepers, Old peoples’ homes, Orphanages and Social Benefits’ Foundations were founded, operated and sustained. The contribution of our Church Saints to the health care is well known. We can mention among others,  St. Bazil the Great with the marvellous Vasiliada, St. Chrysostom, St. Theodosios the Cenobiarch, St. Savvas the Sanctified, St. John the Merciful, St. Philothei of Athens.

This is the factual manifestation of the commandment that our Master and Lord gave us by His own example, as St. John Damascene says, a commandment sealed with “the blood, the water, the baptism”, which “were issued from the wound, through which man, the great wound was healed”, whose fall generated both physical and psychic impact (Vespers, Thomas Sunday).Moreover, the Evangelic message “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Mat.35:36), does not draw our attention only to the illness of the body, but also to the mental distress that the patient may undergo, which demands psychological and emotional support.

Those suffering from physical or mental illness or even unfortunate social status, such as the refugees nowadays, have a special psychology, since existential matters can easily unsettle faith and hope in God, debilitate the person and drive him to despair. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, which His Ministers are able to convey to our fellow men, pain is experienced as a gift and illness as a chance “so that the dispersed children of God” are gathered “in one” (John 11:52). Physical illness acts as a means of humility to the soul of the faithful, allowing the grace of the Holy Spirit guide the person to “the likeness”, so that he can realise St. Paul’s saying “I rejoice in my sufferings” (Col. 1:24).

Therefore, the presence of scientifically and spiritually competent representatives of the Church, who convey the message of the Resurrected Christ as His witnesses to the patients, can be determining for the salvation of their souls. We are indebted to our fellow men to convey faith and hope, displaying affection and love, not centred in material things and temporary interest, but in the outcry of the humble spirit for incorrupt goods and the eternal Kingdom in heaven. Through such a state of the soul the faithful feels the power of our Saviour Jesus Christ coming to dwell in him, and he can exclaim rejoicing “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1) and “Lord thou has lifted up the light of thy countenance upon us” (Psalm 4:7).

Rekindling thus hope, that “the harvest is truly great” (Luke 10:2) but the labourers are able to convey the salvific and hopeful message of the Resurrected Jesus Christ, our Lord, we are looking forward to the talks of the experts.

With love in Christ, from the Holy City of Jerusalem we convey the grace and the blessing of the All-holy and Life-giving Tomb of our Saviour Christ.

 

THEOPHILOS III

PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM

From Secretariat-General

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQzcTH96xGM