A seminar of book signing “Lest Truth is lost”

A seminar of book signing

                    Under the patronage of His Beatitude John X the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and with invitation from Balamand monastery, a seminar of book signing has been held: “Lest Truth is lost”, prepared by Mr. George Ghandour, and printed in the publications of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East, at the great Hall of Balamand Monastery.

                    His Eminence Saba Isber (of Bosra Huran and Jabal al-Arab) participated, with Rev. Father Porphyrios Georgi the dean of the Theological faculty at the University of Balamand, and Dr. George Nahas the vice-president of the University of Balamand, with the presence of Rev. Archimandrite Romanos Hannat the abbot of Balamand monastery, besides a huge crowd of people interested in this seminar.

                    Mrs. Nancy Najjar from the Antiochian Orthodox Media Center introduced the speakers.

                     His Eminence Saba (Isber) delivered a speech on the Antiochian role throughout the preparatory march that lasted for long decades until the Cretan meeting in the summer of 2016 in which the Antiochian fathers who represented the Antiochian Church, have been distinguished.

                    His Eminence Saba assured that Antioch has been present in all the meetings that took place, and that she (the church of Antioch), has been a bridge of communication that has existed, ever since the beginning.

                    He added: “the objective of the Antiochian Synod is the pastoral dimension which is an urgent need for the Church of Antioch and  the essential objective of the synod, for it stresses the challenges that the faithful encounter in the modern world. It is even more important than the theoretical and organizational matters. He also added that the Antiochian Church is free of the burden of history which has been pressing hard on the Orthodox Church or people.

                        Then, Rev. father Porphyrios the dean of the Theological faculty delivered a lecture that focused on the meeting of Crete in 2016 and said: The acceptance of the fullness of the church, and any of the councils after its decisions and resolutions, after being studied and scrutinized locally and ecumenically (universally), is the only criterion for the council to be enrolled among the great councils of the church.

                      He added: It seems that some of us, don’t read history, or even don’t take examples or lessons in order to be aware of the fact that the obsession of the worldly authority inside the church, or excessive church centrality over the worldly measures, hits and destroys the peculiarity and the privacy of the local church, and disrupts the proper mechanism of the synodal work and brotherly meeting (meetings of the brothers). It has even led to the great schism in the history of the church; and has been able to dismember the body of Christ, and disrupt real communication among the members.

                     He concluded: “Synodal exercise and practice of the church teachings and life, is based on living among the plurality of talents at every age and period; it is also based on inspiring the teachings of the Holy Fathers, the Prophets of the New Testament, and their experiences, for the service of man. This is what we have been yearning to embody in a great holy council that will realize what the glorious church of Christ aspires.

                      In his turn Dr. Nahas spoke on the importance of the book as a reference not only to the Antiochians, but also to the universal Orthodox Church. “He assured that the refusal of so many autocephalous orthodox churches participating in the works and minutes of the great council, is an evidence of immaturity in the prerequisites of holding it.

                     He also said: The Antiochian Church has had a great influence over the resolutions and decisions of the other churches because of the calm and open diplomacy that she has adopted.

                    Then, the author of the book Mr. George Ghandour spoke summarizing and said: “conciliarity in the Orthodox Church is undergoing real crisis, because it is not a system but rather daily exercise”. He assured that the unity of the Orthodox world is only built through mutual open and continual dialogue among its different specters, and through confession and toleration with the obsessions of other parties, and through treating them seriously and with love, hoping that the Church of Antioch will play a great role in the future in helping the orthodox world to deduce lessons and to be a pioneer in launching real initiatives for removing stagnation available in the orthodox world.

                      He concluded thanking His Beatitude the Patriarch John X for his love, confidence, and patronizing this seminar.

In the end, the book was signed