ATHENS, Greece | Twenty-five Vatican students and staff from 20 countries visited the administrative headquarters of the Church of Greece for a close look at the work of the Holy Synod’s services and the Orthodox ecclesiastical tradition.
The visit was part of the program “Learning the Greek language — getting to know the Orthodox tradition and Greek culture,” which began in 2005 on the initiative of the General Director of Apostoliki Diakonia, Metropolitan Agathangelos of Fanarion.
For one month, the participants live in Athens, stay at the Theological Boarding House of Apostoliki Diakonia, take daily Greek lessons and visit churches, monasteries, Church metropolises and museums.
Through the language, the program seeks to bring them closer to the history, theology and culture that shaped the Orthodox world.
The visitors were received in the Hall of the Great Synod by the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, Bishop Ioannis of Skiathos, who presented the work of the Church of Greece and spoke about the common challenges facing Christians. The meeting concluded with commemorative gifts for the visitors.
The group was then given a tour of the Synodal Mansion and visited the Holy Monastery of Asomaton Petraki.
The program is carried out by Apostoliki Diakonia in cooperation with the General Secretariat for Religious Affairs. It is one of the Church of Greece’s most established initiatives connecting young Roman Catholics from different countries with the Greek language and the Orthodox tradition.
