Communiqué from CROCEU on the Meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

The Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU) have issued a communiqué on their meeting with Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch. His All-Holiness visits the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg from 5 to 13 November, 2019, marking the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Metropolis of Belgium and Exarchy of the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

The communiqué can be read below:

CROCEU’s meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Brussels, 11 November 2019

Within the context of the Celebrations for the Golden Jubilee of the Metropolis of Belgium and Exarchy of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, met with the Committee of Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU). Present at the meeting were His Eminence Athenagoras Metropolitan of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Aimilianos Bogiannou —Moderator (Ecumenical Patriarchate), His Eminence Joseph Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe (Patriarchate of Romania), the Very Reverend Protopresbyter Dr. Sorin Selaru, His Grace Porfyrios Bishop of Neapolis, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Nektarios Ioannou—Executive Secretary (Church of Cyprus), and His Eminence Athanasios Metropolitan of Achaia (Church of Greece). Two members of the Patriarchal Entourage, namely His Eminence Damascenos Metropolitan of Cydonia and Apokoronou, and the Very Reverend Archimandrite Alexios Xenophontinos, Abbot of the Monastery of Xenophontos (Mount Athos), were also present. During the meeting, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his joy for the fact that the members of the Committee work together harmoniously on issues of common interest for Orthodoxy in an ever-changing Europe. Among other things, His All Holiness underlined the importance of a Committee representing the Orthodox Church with a unified voice vis-à-vis the European Institutions. In turn, the members of the Committee expressed their thankfulness to the Ecumenical Patriarch for meeting with them, and outlined the activities and work of the Committee during the past years, as well as their plans for the near future. Finally, His All-Holiness invited the members of the Committee to Constantinople, in order to organize their annual meeting in 2020.