The Orthodox Center of Chambésy to celebrate its 50th anniversary

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.