Organized by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies
and the Catholic Academy of Bavaria
An International Conference was successfully held in Volos on September 27-28, 2016, organized by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies in cooperation with the historic Catholic Academy of Bavaria. The conference was part of an official visit of staff and friends of the Catholic Academy to the city of Volos and their acquaintance with Orthodoxy and Greece. The scope of the conference was not limited to a theological topic. It rather explored a wide range of issues, which refer to both the history and cultural relationship between Germans —and particularly the Bayern people— and Greeks, as well as on key common problems of today. During the conference an ambitious discussion took place on key issues as well as a strengthening of the relations between the two Academies through a frank dialogue along with their contribution to the work of mutual understanding and reconciliation between Germans and Greeks, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
The German participants (clergy, politicians, scientists, journalists, etc.) arrived in Thessaloniki on Monday, September 26th. Following a tour to major monuments of the city, and a visit to the Basilica Church of St. Demetrius they travelled to Volos, where the local parish of Saints Constantine and Helen offered a dinner in their honour. The conference began on Tuesday, September 27th with the Welcome Address by the Metropolitan Ignatius of Dimitrias and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, and the Greetings by the German Ambassador Dr. Peter Schoof, followed by the Director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria Dr. Florian Schuller and the Volos Academy for Theological Studies Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis.
The first session of the conference was dedicated to the topic: “Refugee Crisis and its challenges for the Churches and the European societies”. The presentations by the Prelate Bernhard Piendl, Director of the Caritas in Bavaria and Rev. Meletis Meletiadis, Pastor of the Greek Evangelical Church in Volos were followed by a throughout discussion as it was the case in all sessions. The second session on the topic “Mutual Stereotypes” included presentations by Kostas Koutsourelis, Writer, Director of Neon Pnanodion Review and Bernhard Remmers, Director of the School of Journalism of the Catholic Church of Germany. The first day closed with a round table discussion moderated by Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Director of the Volos Academy and Dr. Florian Schuller, Director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria on the topic “Economic Crisis and its impact”, joined by Professor Franz-Christoph Zeitler, Former Vice President of Bundesbank and Former General Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finances of Germany, and Alekos Papadopoulos, Former Minister of Finances, Interior Affairs, Public Health of Greece.
The first session of the second day of the conference focused on the topic “Greece and Bavaria: Dialogue in Art,” lectured by Professor Manos Stefanides, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Professor Thomas Raff, Augsburg University, while the following session dealt with the topic “Religion and Church in Greece and Bavaria”, with presentations by Professor Michael Ebertz, Freiburg Catholic School and Professor Vasilios Makrides, School of Philosophy of Erfurt University.
The conference ended with a tribute to the Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Fr. Apostolos Malamoussis for his long service to the local Orthodox Metropolis, and his genuine and ecumenically open witness of Orthodoxy and Hellenism to Germany. Fr. Apostolos Malamoussis was born in 1947 in a small village in Pelion, named Mouressi, near Volos. Since 1972 and for more than 40 years he is a priest of the Holy Metropolis of Germany. He is widely known both in Germany and Greece, due to his consistent commitment to the peaceful coexistence and harmonious cohabitation of people of different ethnic and religious origin and his struggle against racism, xenophobia and terrorism. He participates on behalf of the Orthodox Metropolis in the Supreme Council of Integration in Germany, which has been established by the German Chancellery. One should mention also his contribution to a) the enshrinement of the historic church of the Christ’s Transfiguration (known also as Salvator Kirche) to the Metropolis of Germany and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1999, located at the center of the city of Munich; b) the introduction in 2000 of the conduct of the Epitaph on Good Friday at the famous Marienplatz in Munich city center; and c) the blessing of waters at the day of the Epiphany in the Izar river that crosses the city, as well as the adoption in 2005 of the Greek-Bavarian Day of Culture.
The tribute began with a warm salutation by Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis. It is noteworthy that the Director of the Catholic Academy Dr. Florian Schuller read fluently his greeting in Modern Greek. The Laudatio for the honoured priest was delivered by Professor Athanasios Vletsis (Department of Orthodox Theology, München University) who overviewed Fr. Apostolos’ multifaceted contribution. Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias, on his turn after heartily congratulated Fr. Apostolos (who was accompanied by his wife, presvytera Athanasia) for his work, awarded him with the Golden Cross Medal of the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias. In his reply Fr. Apostolos, accompanied by his presbytera Athanasia, succinctly summed up his life, and warmly thanked those who supported his work and especially Metropolitan Augoustinos of Germany.
Accompanied by the Director of the Council of Churches in Bavaria and Academic Asoociate of Volos Academy Mr. Georgios Vlantis, the German participants visited in the morning of Thursday, September 29, the Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron. Later that day they have been received at the Monastery of St. John the Baptist, in the village of Anatoli, Agia (Thessaly) by the Gerontissa Theoktisti and the sisters of the monastery, where they had the opportunity to learn in detail about the spiritual life and the importance of monasticism in the Orthodox tradition. The participants were most impressed by the diverse activities of this female Monastery, where sisters from many countries, such as Germany, stay.
On September 30, 2016 the participants attended the Divine Liturgy in the village Milies in Pelion, celebrated by Metropolitan Ignatius of Dimitrias, while they later visited the village of Drakeia, also in Pelion, where His Eminence celebrated a memorial service for the repose of the 118 men executed in December 1943 by the Nazi troops, and the Director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria Dr. Florian Schuller read a forgiveness prayer and the Psalm 50 from the Bible. They also had the chance to visit the village museum, which is dedicated to the event, and to learn by the local authorities representatives about the history of the place, expressing their anguish for the tragedy. Their tour to Pelion villages and acquaintance with the religious life and cultural achievements of the region were followed by a visit to the villages of Makrinitsa and Portaria, while on Saturday morning before their departure from Greece, they visited the famous archeological site of Vergina.
To read the opening greeting (in Greek) by Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias click here
To read the greeting (in Greek) by Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis click here
To read the Laudatio by Professor Athanasios Vletsis (in Greek and German) click here
To read Fr. Apostolos’ reply (in Greek and German) click here
To read the Press Release about the Tribute by the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias click here
In the following weeks the sessions of the conference and the Tribute ceremony will be available at our YouTube channel
