Address of His Holiness Aleksey, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia

To the participants of the XVI General Assembly of SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth: Revered Bishops and members of the clergy, dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
We cordially greet you on the opening of the XVI General Assembly of SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, and wish you successful and fruitful work.
You have chosen the words "Serve the Lord in Unity," borrowed from the Prophet Zephaniah, as the main theme of the XVI General As-sembly. And we pray to our Lord that the gathering grace of the Holy Spirit has united your hearts for labour throughout the Church in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The God-created world is entering a new millennium of global history. The 20th century of the Christian era is coming to its end. Time has come to sum up, time has come to prepare ourselves for future ministry in the new millennium. This increases tremendously the role and responsibility of the Orthodox youth in witnessing the Holy Orthodox faith to the contemporary secular world. Young people are capable of filling their hearts with sincere zeal for faith and love for Christ; it is with this zeal that the word of Christ's Truth should be preached in accordance with the teaching of the Holy Church and Holy
Tradition, carefully preserved by her.
It brings joy to us when we see that SYNDESMOS is growing annually, both in number and in spirit. Founded in 1953 on the initiative of prominent Orthodox theologians, namely the Very Rev. John
Meyendorff, the Very Rev. Alexander Schmemann, Paul Evdokimov, and others, the movement has become a high authority not only in the Orthodox realm. The syndesmos of love in Jesus Christ, which is the focus of your fellowship, is filled with youthful potential, vigour and devotion and is called to be the main moving force of the Orthodox mission in the world and of the social and human ministry of the Church of God.
I hope that the XVI General Assembly will focus on discussion of a number of issues related to the life of the Orthodox Church and Orthodox youth in the modern world. Primarily they are problems of totalitarian sects and neo-heathen movements, crime and drug addiction, and the relation-ships between Church and society and Church and culture. At present, ecumenical activity in the spirit of love calls for reevaluation which should be done in the spirit of Orthodox vigilance, ascetic prudence, and permanent reference to Church Tradition. Theological questions deserve special attention and demand utmost sensitivity and tact, especially when discussing issues of spiritual life that distinguish us from persons of other denominations.
Let me also hope that the General Assembly of SYNDESMOS will support with all Christian responsibility efforts made by people of good will to secure peace and achieve concord in Kosovo when, according to Prophet Isaiah, "...the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righeousness, quietness and assurance forever" [Isaiah 32:17]. May the Lord keep you in all your ways