Patriarch John X Receives the Greek Deputy…

 

Patriarch John X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, received Konstantinos Vlasis, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the patriarchal residence in Balamand. The meeting was attended by Catherine Fountoulaki, the Greek Ambassador to Lebanon, Emmanuel Kobarakis, the Director of the Minister's Office, Athanasia Iliaki, the Greek Consul in Lebanon and the Chargé d'Affairs of the Greek Embassy in Syria, Mr. Nicholas Protonotarios. From the Antiochian side, the meeting was attended by the Patriarchal Vicar His Grace, Bishop Ephraim Maalouli, Archimandrite Romanos El-Hannat, the Abbot of the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, the Rt. Reverend Archimandrite Jack Khalil, the Dean of St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology, and Dr. Elias L. Warrak, the President of the University of Balamand.

The meeting dealt with the means to enhance cooperation between the Antiochian Orthodox Church and the Greek government, particularly at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand. The meeting also discussed the general situation in the region, and the role entrusted to the Antiochian Church to support and settle its members in Syria and Lebanon and in building bridges of communication towards all the diverse components of the Orient. The meeting dealt with the general Orthodox situation and the means to enhance the logic of convergence and dialogue.