"The holding of such a congress has meaning for the entire Orthodox Church"

This address by Metropolitan Emmanuel, delivered at the conclusion of a liturgy celebrated in six languages at an Orthodox congress in Western Europe, takes the form of an opening speech of a pastoral and institutional nature. The author conveys the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and affirms the universal significance of such an assembly for the Orthodox Church as a whole, beyond the sole context of the European diaspora. The address articulates two fundamental theological axes: witness borne to Christ as Truth and ecclesial life grounded in Eucharistic communion. From a historical and ecclesiological standpoint, this text illustrates the dynamic of structuring Orthodoxy in Western Europe, as well as its openness to ecumenical dialogue, attested by the presence of Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed representatives and European civil authorities.