Dr. Dimitri Oikonomou

                   Address of the President

Your Eminences, Your Graces, Most Reverend Holy Abbot, Venerable Fathers and all of you, my dear friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, who have come from "all the ends of the earth" [Psalm 18:5] to be present and to rejoice with us on this festive occasion which we are celebrating this week: May Our Lord's grace and "the unity of the Spirit in the syndesmos of peace" [Ephesians 4:3] be upon all of you.
    To the words of this apostolic blessing, I add my own words of welcome to everyone gathered at this XVI Assembly of SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth. I welcome you, the delegates representing the more than 132 member and applying member movements of the Fellowship. I also welcome you, the representatives of the Holy Autocephalous and Autonomous Orthodox Churches, those in episcopal and clerical orders, the laity, the Venerable Abbot and the Fathers of this sacred house of prayer dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of Our Saviour. And to you, our honoured guests from associations and organisations far and wide that have offered encouragement and support to the work of SYNDESMOS over the years, a warm and hearty welcome!
    Most of you have travelled great distances to come to Finland and for many of you it could be your first time in this beautiful northern land. For others, this may be your first experience of a SYNDESMOS General Assembly. May the Lord bless our encounters, deliberations and decisions.
    To His All-Holiness, Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch, whose blessing and personal interest in the activities and welfare of SYNDESMOS have been indispensable to its progress, I wish to extend a special greeting in the name of the Board of Administration. To all of the primates of the Orthodox Church the world over, SYNDESMOS is extremely grateful for your blessings, your material and spiritual support, and your expressions of confidence in the operations of the Fellowship. In particular to our gracious hosts, His Eminence, Archbishop Johannes of Karelia and All Finland, the clergy and faithful of the Holy Church in this land blessed by God, to all those who have toiled from the first to the eleventh hour - both here in Finland and at the Secretariat in Poland - to prepare for this event, thank you for your dedication and for the hospitality you have offered.
    In choosing Finland as a venue for this General Assembly, SYNDESMOS has very much come home. The Finnish Orthodox Church holds a place in its heart, and even feels a special responsibility, for the Fellowship. For thirteen years, from 1977 to 1990, the Secretariat was located in this land. From 1992 to 1995, SYNDESMOS's President was a Finnish priest. For the first time in SYNDESMOS's history, thanks to the indispensable support of the local Church, the Secretary in Finland had a regular salary and a full time job. On both a human and a financial level, the responsible assistance of the Church in Finland has been enormous and decisive for the well-being of the Fellowship. Even today, the Finnish Orthodox members are the only ones in the world that without fail take up an annual collection from their churches for the work of SYNDESMOS.
    There is another sense in which SYNDESMOS has come home. This is now the second General Assembly to be held at Valamo. Nineteen years ago, in 1980, the X General Assembly was convened here from 1-10 August with the blessing and in the presence of His Eminence, Archbishop Paul of Karelia and All Finland of blessed memory. Its theme was "Witness and Service" and its keynote speaker, Kyrill, then Archbishop of Vyborg and now Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad
    Once more, therefore, we find ourselves in this historic monastery. It seems to me that, among us are standing those blessed monks, the founding fathers, Saint Sergius and Saint Herman, as well as all those holy men of prayer and asceticism, who for over a thousand years, at Old Valaam and at New Valamo, sanctified with their entreaties and tears the lands of Karelia, Russia, Finland, and even distant America - in the person of the saintly miracle worker, Herman of Alaska.
    Together with them, we are also blessed by the presence of other monastic saints, whose feasts fall during this week: Seraphim of Sarov, Sisoes the Great and Athanasios, founder of the Great Lavra on the Holy Mountain of Athos.
    It is appropriate here for me to report that, during the past four years, a true syndesmos of love and diakonia has been cultivated between our Fellowship and many monastic centres, including the cenobia of Valaam and Athos, the mountain trodden by the Theotokos. With the Athonite monasteries especially, we have much in common. SYNDESMOS and Athos are the only pan-Orthodox institutions in the world. In their very being, both embody the catholicity - the ecumenicity - of the Church by embracing all, irrespective of jurisdiction and ethnic origin. Both work and pray for the unity that comes, not in political and national structures - which are man-made - but in being a citizen of God's Kingdom.
    Before the mid 1990s SYNDESMOS had never established formal ties or negotiated collaborative endeavours the Athonite Fathers. But now, through the annual spiritual ecology camps - where SYNDESMOS work forces do ecology rather than talk about it - we have forged strong links with the monasteries, the sketes, and the monastic administration of Athos. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire peninsula waits for us in eager expectation year by year.
    Indeed, last summer, shortly before the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, something very exciting occurred on the Mountain. Seventeen young SYNDESMOS workers battled an angry blaze for sixteen hours in the forestlands at the frontier between Philotheou and Simonopetra. Their contribution to the fire-fighting team was indispensable. Over the length and breadth of the mountain, word spread (swifter even than the flames) that an attachment of young Orthodox from foreign lands was waging a holy battle for the survival of the monasteries. You can read the letters of commendation from the Holy Community at Karyes and from the Monastery of Simonopetra in the previous issue of SYNDESMOS News. On the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene, patroness and protectress of Simonopetra, the SYNDESMOS team venerated the sacred and uncorrupted relic of the holy Myrrhbearer at the monastery. Eight years ago, the saint preserved her monastery from one of the worst fires in Athonite history, and she did once more last year. This was a momentous experience which will never be forgotten.
    And look where all of this has led us? For the first time in almost fifty years, a hieromonk sets off from his house of prayer on the Holy Mountain and comes to a SYNDESMOS General Assembly in Finland as its honoured guest speaker. The Assembly is convened in a monastery whose history and traditions are as old as Athos's and, as we have seen for ourselves, the monk himself, Father Symeon, Peruvian and Athonite, is a living embodiment of all that SYNDESMOS represents.

What is a SYNDESMOS General Assembly? The assemblies of SYNDESMOS have been taking place since 1953, but SYNDESMOS as a concept dates at least from 1949. It is important to keep in mind that the period 1949 to 1953 was in the aftermath of the Second World War when, at first, there was a general feeling of euphoria. But this was soon overtaken by the

Ceremony of the blessing of water at the feast of the Prophet Elias in Ilomantsi

emergence of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War. Most Orthodox countries found themselves under militant atheistic regimes and any form of constructive dialogue among the churches was out of the question. SYNDESMOS, however, attempted to transcend the sharp political divisions in Europe by acting as a bridge. In January of 1949, a group or 28 Orthodox theologians and students from nine different countries met in Bossey, outside of Geneva, and agonised for five days over what they understood as the problems of the Church at that time. Some of these problems included the indifference and distrust of one Orthodox Church for the other; the lack of cooperation in the local Orthodox Churches to engage the youth in parish life, the need to build brotherly contacts among the Orthodox Churches. That was fifty years ago. Today there is no more Iron Curtain, no more Cold War. Some things have changed; others have not!
    Today, history has sprung up in front of us. Every General Assembly of SYNDESMOS is a unique event _ unique not only for the Fellowship, but unique also for the Orthodox Church. It is an historic occasion when the People of God, dispersed to the far reaches of the globe, gather together to celebrate, to offer thanksgiving, and to pray for the peace, unity and progress of the Church.
    Like the fifteen that preceded it, this Assembly is a tangible manifestation of the unity, the holiness, the catholicity, and the apostolicity of our faith. We are here as one body (this is the element of our unity); we are sent by God (here the apostolicity) to engage in a holy service that embraces all Orthodox Christians the world over (here our catholicity).
    Normally, it is not the purpose of a General Assembly to spend a lot of time on business and administrative matters, although inevitably they must form a part of the proceedings. It is important to evaluate and consolidate the work of the Board, to be thankful to God for our achievements and to be honest about our failings and shortcomings. There is always room for improvement.
    Primarily, however, a General Assembly is meant to be a cele-bration for all who are youthful in Christ, an appreciation for all the benefits given to us by God. This is a time of festivity and of inner spiritual reflection. I would like it also to be an occasion for us to renew old friendships and to make new ones. We cannot be friends of God if we are not friends with each other.
    There is a remarkable passage that speaks about the true meaning of friendship in the 33rd chapter of the Book of Exodus. It is one of the Old Testament passages appointed at the Byzantine Vesperal Liturgy on Great and Holy Thursday. At verse 11 we read: "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
    I think that this is a particularly appropriate verse for SYNDESMOS because it offers a definition of friendship that binds people together in a partnership which leaves no room for distinction. According to this verse from Exodus, speaking -by itself does not qualify for friendship; it has to be done face to face. The former is mere communication between individuals; the latter is relational, a true encounter of persons. Speaking face to face means: "you are my equal I trust you I respect you I do not take you for granted I love you you are free." I say free because, when the Lord God Himself spoke to his friend, Moses - face to face - he restored to Moses that primordial relationship of freedom that existed between the Creator and Man made in the image and likeness.
    And here it is very interesting to note that the Russian word for "hate," nenavizhu, literally means, "the one I do not look at the one whose appearance I cannot tolerate the one to whom I do not speak face to face." This is the very antithesis of friend as understood in Exodus.
    Byzantine iconography also emphasises this. Whenever Satan is depicted, such as in the icon of the Resurrection where he is bound and chained in hell, his head is turned so that we cannot see his face. Without a face, there is no person, no one to relate to. This reminds me of the indication of the nature of hell given in the 38th of the Apophthegmata (or Sayings) of Saint Makarios the Great of Egypt, where there is recorded a conversation between Makarios and the skull of a dead pagan priest. In describing his torments in hell, the priest says, "It is not possible to see anyone face to face," to which Makarios responds with the question, "Are there any punishments more painful than this?"
    There is a direct connection between this ancient covenant of friendship between God and Moses and the New Testament story of the man born blind. This man asks Christ, "Who is the [Son of God]?" And Our Lord answers, "Thou hast seen him and it is he that speaketh with thee" [John 9:37]. Can you imagine the spiritual impact of these words? This man was blind from birth. The hymns of the Church say, "blind from the womb." He had never seen anything in the world but was touched by the life-giving hand of Christ and all of a sudden sees - for the first time in his life. And whom does he see? One of the first persons that he sees is his own Creator, his God, his Saviour.
    This man understood clearly the inner meaning of this cataclysmic event. It was as if Christ was saying: "You are a second Moses; as with him, I am speaking with you - face to face; we are friends." And the man replied, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him [John 9:38].
   For several days, here at this monastery, we are assembled, "united by the Holy Spirit in the bond [syndesmos] of peace" [Ephesians 4:3]. We are gathered in the joy of meeting one another because we rejoice in being the Body of Christ. Let us spend each and every day making new friends as God makes friends - by speaking to each other face to face, by understanding each other, by breaking down our national, cultural and jurisdictional barriers, by recognising and honouring the image of God that rests in each one of us.
    This experience will be made even more tangible in the Divine Liturgy. There the bread and wine, which are the pure fruits of our labour, are offered to God by us, the ecclesial community. This fruit of our labour is blessed and transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, which runs through everyone's veins. Then, partaking in the Eucharist, we become real brothers, sisters, and true companions.
    It is precisely this lack of mutual, friendly appreciation that accounts for division and creates misunderstanding, ignorance, apprehension, and suspicion. If the Orthodox persist in avoiding one another, in refusing to engage in dialogue, in refusing to face each other, we shall continue to have interjurisdictional conflicts, we shall continue be marginalised politically, we shall continue to project a parochial image to society both at home and abroad.
    Ours is a world of ever-rapid movement. Human life in all its dimensions and with all its structures, norms and values is in the process of revolutionary change. No longer can we say that East and West are sharply divided in terms of civilisation, religion, technology and development. The boundaries between nations, cultures and races have become blurred. Today all the histories and all of the problems of different peoples are part and parcel of one world history. The world of the 20th and 21st centuries is, par excellence, a world in a constant process of communication and dialogical growth. Hence, dialogue is an inevitable part of human life. The question is not "why dialogue?" but "how dialogue?"
    In such a situation the Church cannot stay aloof and merely be an observer. The Church of today must be a Church of dialogue. She must speak openly _ face to face. The radical changes and growing pluralism of modern times impel the Church, in one way or another, to be in permanent dialogue with the world. The Church cannot ignore the world. To live a self-centered life would be simply the death of the Church. She must open herself to the world, to its problems and concerns, conflicts and demands, and respond to it with new vision and responsibility, in courage and humility. She is called to carry on God's mission in the midst of confrontations and challenges of every kind.
    You, the young adults of SYNDESMOS and all of your Christian companions, are the Church of today, not of tomorrow. It is imperative that you cultivate friendships, that you speak to each other face to face. Learn from your neighbour across the seas, let him learn from you. Let no one be a stranger to the other. SYNDESMOS provides a unique and noble environment for such an enterprise; we should "take full opportunity of the moment" [Ephesians 5:16]. If this SYNDESMOS gathering can succeed in doing nothing other than that, it will indeed be remembered as a great and historic Assembly.

   What is SYNDESMOS? Very evidently SYNDESMOS is greater than the sum of its parts. We are a unity of free movements that serve the people of God. Our fundamental commitment remains to build community among the Orthodox Churches. And from the ever deeper roots of community grows God's Kingdom, where wholeness and harmony prevail. Our member organisations live in remarkably different social, economic, cultural and political conditions. We speak a pentecost of languages. Our distinctive histories produce different styles of worship and forms of organisation and sensitivities. This is a rich variety, a reflection of God's rich kingdom. And it is this diversity that makes SYNDESMOS an exciting forum where Orthodox youth express their concerns and aspirations. We learn from each other of God's work and faithfulness. Insights are exchanged, providing mutual enrichment, encouragement and correction. This has never changed.
    SYNDESMOS has absolutely no authority outside the Church. It is not a paraecclesiastical structure. Does this mean that it has no ecclesial significance? I would argue strongly that it does. For SYNDESMOS is more than a mere organiser of youth activities and publisher of books. This is obvious from the rich and varied array of projects that we implement.
    SYNDESMOS has a distinct vision and a vocation which are shared by all of its member movements and these are very clearly outlined in the Constitution. Listed in Article 2 of the SYNDESMOS Constitution are the Aim, Objectives and Functions of the Fellowship. Seven objectives are given. The first three, a, b, and c, refer specifically to youth.

• In (a) we read that SYNDESMOS, true to its name, serves as a bond of unity among Orthodox youth movements.

• In (b) SYNDESMOS fosters relations, coordination and mutual aid among these youth movements.

• And (c) says that SYNDESMOS promotes among young people a full understanding of the Orthodox faith and an active participation of the youth in the life and mission of the Church.
      However, none of the remaining four objectives, mentions youth at all; (d), (e), (f), and (g) are for the benefit of everyone:

• (d) a life founded in eucharistic communion, the Gospel and the fathers.

• (e) the promotion of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.

• (f) reflection and action on contemporary issues of major importance.

• (g) solidarity, unhindered and complete, with the ancient Oriental Churches.

    Here SYNDESMOS is moving boldly beyond the expected mandate of an organisation of, for, and by the youth. Here SYNDESMOS is saying, "our concern is for the whole people of God, for all Orthodox Christians, for the entire oikoumene, for every one of God's creatures and for His creation." In God's eyes, all of us are youth, brothers and sisters with a common Father who makes no distinctions but loves everyone unconditionally.
    SYNDESMOS is also a fellowship of diakonia that both acts and reacts to the needs of the Church. It has an identity and a self-consciousness. Recognising a need, it applies dynamism and responsibility. Its strength lies in its ability to stimulate initiatives that support the work of the dioceses and parishes.
    And finally, SYNDESMOS is all-embracing: all Orthodox, young and old, cleric and lay, members official and unofficial are honoured guests at its events. No one is turned away. No one Orthodox is excluded from our fellowship. Everyone - infants, teenagers, adults and the elderly - is welcome. Some come to offer service, others their talents, the next his presence. The one gives a gift, the other receives. Here we say a prayer, there we respond to a need. If this is SYNDESMOS, it clearly bears characteristics that belong to the nature of the universal Church; it inevitably bears ecclesiological significance.
    There is no doubt that the Fellowship has realised some of its objectives through its various projects and activities. However, much remains to be done and the journey is still long, tedious and full of difficulties. We can assess the length of the journey that lay ahead of us when we listen to Our Lord praying to his Father before he left this world: "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are" [John 17:11]. Then He adds, "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved me" [John 17:21-23].
    This means that unless we Orthodox endeavour not only to preach, but also to realise unity in faithfulness, in thoughts and in purpose as well as sincere brotherly cooperation, how will we be able to bear witness to Jesus Christ? And what is this unity about which we speak so much? Our model of unity is the perfection of the Trinity: a relational tri-unity among the Holy Persons. The spirit of unity is the Holy Spirit who is the Mother of the Church. It is this same Spirit who reconciles us to God in Christ and unites us into a Fellowship - a syndesmos - of God's people [I John 4:13].

   But what is the nature of unity? Unity is a God-given reality. It is both a gift and a calling. It is never lost in the Church, only obscured and broken. It must be rediscovered and renewed. Therefore, unity is a present and at the same time an eschatological reality; it must be constantly sought. Unity is not something that is achieved once and for all, but a living, unfolding process; not a goal that is reached but rather a continuing reality that is constantly renewed. People speak about the "visible unity of the Church" but unity by its very nature is invisible because it lies at the level of the faith and the mystery of the Church. Nonetheless, it must manifest itself visibly in and through a koinonia - a fellowship, like SYNDESMOS - to become a concrete reality in history.
    Through its diverse programmes, SYNDESMOS encourages all Orthodox youth towards high levels of religious development and commitment. Furthermore, the Fellowship helps its members to become aware of the ethical and spiritual dimensions of humanity and to live their lives according a Christian Orthodox code of values.
    There is a conscious effort to support the member movements as they discover and develop their talents. Ideally, this is accomplished through the breadth of projects offered each year and the range of activities. Every young Orthodox Christian is encouraged to find his or her own special strengths and to become confident in their abilities.
    For this reason SYNDESMOS has an historic commitment to youth leadership training and theological education. There are numerous roles in which young people can discover their ability to initiate activities and see them through: charity work, conference organisation, representation on Church councils, publishing, and religious instruction. A shared assumption is that the youth of the Church are capable of high levels of achievement and that their humanity benefits the community when they are given positions of responsibility.
    SYNDESMOS's vision has never been narrow. Aside from the existing meritorious symbiosis of the Byzantine and the Oriental Churches, there have been, throughout the Fellowship's history, mutually beneficial interchanges with other Christian confessions, particularly through the World Council of Churches and the World Student Christian Federation. SYNDESMOS welcomes these bilateral opportunities, while continuing to offer overall provision in line with its traditions and the strengths of its member movements.

   Achievements of the present SYNDESMOS Administration.

Group discussion on inter-Christian dialogue

Any assessment of the work of SYNDESMOS over the past four years must necessarily take into account the important legacy left by the administration immediately preceding ours. Under the inspired leadership of past President Father Heikki Huttenen and the visionary strategies of Alexander Belopopsky, the previous Secretary-General, the Fellowship embarked upon a new and radical modus operandi. As a result, the profile of SYNDESMOS was transformed from a loose federation of Orthodox groups to a fresh and professional international concern. It was a historic turning point. The present administration clearly benefited from these developments and was able to build on solid foundations.
    Only one detail has impeded progress and planning: financial insecurity. It hangs over our head like a dark cloud. Without a secure economic base, we live a life of unpredictability. It is really quite astonishing that although the work of SYNDESMOS is universally acknowledged as important, only a small fraction of our income is derived from Orthodox sources. We depend almost entirely on secular and Protestant bodies that are sympathetic to our mission. Our Secretary-General, Vladimir Misijuk, together with his assistants, have done an admirable job seeking out and applying for funds from foundations within the World Council of Churches and the European Union. SYNDESMOS has excellent credibility and our applications are normally successful. But these bodies have gradually been reducing their grants; their resources are finite. Fortunately, we have been able to secure (through the President's office) substantial grants from five agencies in Great Britain. Without them, it would have been impossible to undertake our ecological programmes at the monasteries on Athos, at Old Valaam, in Greece, France and England. They have also contributed generously to the costs of running SYNDESMOS's expanded Secretariat.
    If asked to classify the work of SYNDESMOS, I would begin by drawing on one of the bold metaphors presented to us by Saint Andrew of Crete in the fourth ode of his hymnographic masterpiece, the Great Canon:
   "The ladder which the great Patriarch Jacob saw of old is an example, O my soul, of approach through action and of ascent in knowledge. If then thou dost wish to live rightly in action and knowledge and contemplation, be thou made new....
    "Be watchful, O my soul, be full of courage like Jacob the great Patriarch, that thou mayest acquire action with knowledge, and be named `Israel', `the mind that sees God'; so shalt thou reach by contemplation the innermost darkness, and gain great merchandise."
    Saint Andrew speaks of "approach through action, and of ascent in knowledge" and of living rightly in "action and knowledge." Now in this context the Greek word for knowledge does not refer to mere facts but to spiritual knowledge. And this is exactly how I see the overall work of SYNDESMOS.
    All great civilisations have discovered that the energy of youth should not be immediately directed to action, but should first be given the opportunity to acquire knowledge at the school of the experience of others, in order to benefit in future responsible service from the wisdom of the past.
    In the Orthodox Church this rather obvious truth is not simply a matter of common sense. It has an absolute theological dimension, because we believe that there is no Church without Tradition. On the other hand, contemporary society every day challenges the very idea of Tradition, and many aspects of Orthodox practice and behaviour appear to others as exotic and irrelevant. The Orthodox faith is not a sect; it is the catholic faith of the Apostles, the Fathers, the councils, the saints of all ages, and there is no way in which one can live it, or preach it, before learning and becoming rooted in Holy Tradition. Recalling once more the words of Saint Andrew, first "ascent in knowledge" and only then "approach through action." This requires responsible effort and patience.
    Orthodox Christianity cannot survive without the living example and enlightened guidance of priests and lay persons who have a personal and conscious knowledge of Orthodoxy. In any case, no young person can be consciously Orthodox today if no articulate information about the Orthodox faith is available. How many young people are lost to the Church forever precisely because they do not find this information?
    With the rise of secularism, school and university teachers know very little about Orthodox Christianity. Indeed, schools and universities are dominated by ideas and approaches which challenge the very basic principles of the Christian faith. The news media mention Orthodoxy as an exotic and foreign religion, an ethnic and irrelevant relic of the eastern past, or as the occasion of stupid internal conflicts. Lately, Orthodoxy has been associated with ethnic cleansing and factionalism.
    Even in Eastern Europe, family life is not anymore centered on the Church, its fasts and feasts, its ethos and its liturgical beauty. Today, all these traditional forms are challenged not only by secularism, but also by competing religious groups. Orthodoxy is no longer primarily an ethnic matter, no longer something inherited but chosen - not a matter of birth but commitment, not instinctive but conscious. To choose means to struggle and to fight for what we hold to be true. In many parts of the world the Orthodox Church itself represents a small minority and, furthermore, it is divided among jurisdictions whose raison d'etre, in most cases has nothing to do with Orthodox Christianity itself, but reflects a power play of ethnic interests.
    As a Church, we must be prepared to confront the problems of our times in the light of the eternal truth of Orthodox Christianity, and in equipping those who will occupy positions of leadership with all the tools necessary to fulfil their ministry. To furnish our future priests, and, indeed, all Orthodox Christians _ men and women _ with such knowledge, is the task of theological education. It is the responsibility of our theological schools to provide students with both spiritual discipline and knowledge.
    SYNDESMOS firmly believes that theological education must be supported as the highest priority by the entire Church. Through the President's Office SYNDESMOS is already making a contribution by assisting promising students, nominated by their bishops, to embark on theological and language studies in Oxford. This year there will be two candidates, one from Asia and one from the Balkans, next year someone from the Middle East. With the inauguration in Cambridge of the new Institute for the Study of Orthodox Christianity, it would be appropriate for the Fellowship to assist in facilitating the enrolment of able students. I would be very pleased if SYNDESMOS were to set up a Scholarship Fund for the theological education of Orthodox youth.
    To build Churches - without teaching our youth, without giving the necessary training to our future priests and leaders - can not lead very far in the future of the Church. And it is dangerous because without education many elements of our faith are lost or distorted: our entire thinking becomes polarised between superficial liberalism and fanatical zealotry which confuses the Holy Tradi-tion of the Church with sentimental human-made practices and local traditions.
    Theology is essential to the life of the Church. Without theology it is impossible to understand fully the meaning of Scripture, of Tradition, of the inexhaustible treasures of knowledge and spirituality contained in our liturgical services. A knowledge of theology allows us to separate not only Truth from falsehood, but also provides the means of distinguishing that which is truly important from that which is not. Without theology it is impossible to present an articulate witness of our Orthodox faith in the contemporary world, for such a witness, if it is to have any meaning at all, must both be true to the eternal Revelation, preserved by the one, apostolic Church, and be addressed to our contemporaries, both young and old, who want to understand the meaning of the faith for their lives.
    The present SYNDESMOS Board of Administration together with the Secretariat deserves heartfelt congratulations for having implemented and initiated a splendid and highly varied four-year programme of activities. To Vladimir and to the Members of the Board I extend my heartfelt thanks for their steadfastness, their hard work, their sacrifices, and their patience.     The programmes initiated through the Board were understood as being of service to the Church in her work for unity, mission and renewal. As I have already indicated, these projects could be conveniently grouped into those that were knowledge-based and those that were action-based. In fact, the majority of them had elements of both. Those which were knowledge-based included seminars, consultations, institutes, youth leadership training, and workshops. SYNDESMOS's long list of publications also bears witness to the wide range of interests and concerns: ecology, bioethics, a prayer book, documents of official dialogues between the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches and between the Orthodox and other Christian Confessions, journalism, youth ministry, nationalism, theological education, a directory of Orthodox theological institutes, iconography, and so forth. Not to be forgotten is our periodical, SYNDESMOS News, which, thanks to its outstanding editor, Vice President Father John Matusiak, constitutes a professional and objective archive of the Fellowship's life and work.
    The SYNDESMOS Board also arranged events that were action-based: celebrations for the World Day of Orthodox Youth, pilgrimages, bilateral encounters, the Day of Prayer for the Environment, youth exchanges, ecological work, youth festivals and music festivals. As with this Assembly, these activities provided opportunities for the renewal of old friendships and for the creation of new ones - for speaking to one another face to face.

   Where has SYNDESMOS failed? To a certain extent, SYNDESMOS is a microcosm of the Orthodox Church at large with its conflicts, frictions, inner divisions, prejudices, manipulations and power struggles. In its attempt to overcome everything that disunites, SYNDESMOS can unintentionally become a victim of its very nature and vocation. Is this a cross to bear or a challenge to overcome?

Qurbana, Oriental Orthodox Divine Liturgy celebrated at the Assembly

    Let me explain what I mean. We talk a lot about ecumenicity, about catholicity; but we do so within the framework of a European perspective, in terms of a superior culture that is ideally wealthy, white and western. Our norm is an occidental, post-Ottoman humanism. This is clear. Our concerns, our values, our modes of expression, our perceptions, our interests, our publications and even our liturgical proclivities are elitist and one sided. This has become so much a part of our thinking and behaviour that we accept it without question; we even cultivate it and endorse it. What has SYNDESMOS learned from the decades of fraternal friendship with its members in the African continent, in Latin America, in the Far East and in Asia? I think we have failed to benefit from the wisdom and spirituality of the different "other." More than this: we have, out of a sense of exclusivity, failed also to come to terms with the cultural, spiritual and intellectual struggles of the Orthodox at large.
    Let us look briefly at the situation of our Orthodox brothers and sisters in the Oriental Churches. Over the years, there have been very positive discussions between the Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox. The relevant official and unofficial documents have recently been collected and published in a volume entitled, Towards Unity (Geneva, 1998) edited by Christine Chaillot and Alexander Belopopsky. They affirm that all dogmatic obstacles between the two traditions have been resolved. In spite of this, however, we have not yet taken the next step - that of restoring full Communion between the two families of Churches.
    Regrettably, SYNDESMOS reflects this painful situation and suffers. It suffers because it is not within the Fellowship's power to alter the ecclesiological impasse. It suffers because, as a consequence, the Oriental members are treated as second-class citizens in SYNDESMOS. They are nonvoting federated members with their own federated vice-president and their own federated representative. The Oriental Orthodox cannot be full Members of SYNDESMOS until the Churches restore full eucharistic unity. This, I repeat is an ecclesiological, not a doctrinal, issue. What can SYNDESMOS, which is a fellowship of youth movements, do to overcome this? SYNDESMOS is not known for its passivity. Ours is an organisation of action and initiative. Can we find a breakthrough? Could we not take a first step by establishing administrative equality for the Oriental members? At the very least we must all be actively praying for total unity: "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" [John 4:9].
    Our Lord Jesus Christ ignored this remark; he dismissed it. In stead, he spoke to the Samaritan woman face to face, as to a friend. He accepted her unconditionally, in her own religious tradition, and gave her who was a harlot, the opportunity to correct her moral life. And to her who was ritually unclean and a heretic, he offered living water, which is the Holy Spirit.
    Our Lord stands at the door and knocks. But it is up to us to open that door and let him into our lives. What would he say today here at this Assembly? What would we say to him? Would we, like the Samaritan woman, speak about the things that divide us? ("You a Jew; I a Samaritan.") Would we, like her, try to hide our sins? Or would we speak about the living water, the Holy Spirit Himself, in whose unity the "syndesmos of peace" is kept?
    In conclusion, I find it difficult to express in words how much I love and respect SYNDESMOS. Our Fellowship is a happy and purposeful environment. With a coherent framework guaranteed by its Constitution and by the continued blessing of our hierarchy, we can, I believe, continue to promote the development of noble ideals. SYNDESMOS members have always had the highest expectations of themselves and of others. As we survey the landscape of the past decades, the strength of SYNDESMOS's contribution is emerging: a powerful heritage upon which to build Christian life for generations of Orthodox youth in the future.