Πατριαρχική Ἀπόδειξις ἐπί τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πάσχα 2024

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ΕΛΕῼ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ

ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ – ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ

ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ

ΠΑΝΤΙ Τῼ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ, ΕΙΡΗΝΗΝ ΚΑΙ EΛΕΟΣ

ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΔΟΞΩΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ

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Τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοί Ἱεράρχαι καί τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά, 

Εὐδοκίᾳ καί χάριτι τοῦ πανδώρου Θεοῦ διατρέξαντες τόν δόλιχον τῆς Ἁγίας καί Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς καί διελθόντες ἐν κατανύξει τήν Ἑβδομάδα τῶν Παθῶν τοῦ Κυρίου, ἰδού, εὐφραινόμεθα τῇ πανηγύρει τῆς λαμπροφόρου Ἀναστάσεως Αὐτοῦ, δι᾿ ἧς ἐλυτρώθημεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ᾍδου τυραννίδος.

Ἡ ἔνδοξος ἐκ νεκρῶν Ἔγερσις τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ εἶναι συνανάστασις σύμπαντος τοῦ γένους τῶν βροτῶν καί πρόγευσις τῆς τελειώσεως τῶν πάντων καί τῆς πληρώσεως τῆς Θείας Οἰκονομίας ἐν τῇ ἐπουρανίῳ Βασιλείᾳ. Μετέχομεν εἰς τό ἄφραστον μυστήριον τῆς Ἀναστάσεως ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἁγιαζόμενοι ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτῆς μυστηρίοις καί βιοῦντες τό Πάσχα, «τό πύλας ἡμῖν τοῦ Παραδείσου ἀνοίξαν», ὄχι ὡς ἀνάμνησιν ἑνός γεγονότος τοῦ παρελθόντος, ἀλλά ὡς πεμπτουσίαν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ζωῆς, ὡς παρουσίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀεί ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἡμῶν, ἐγγύτερον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀπό ὅσον ἡμεῖς οἱ ἴδιοι εἰς τόν ἑαυτόν μας. Τό Πάσχα, οἱ ὀρθόδοξοι πιστοί ἀνακαλύπτουν τόν ἀληθινόν των ἑαυτόν ὡς ἐν Χριστῷ εἶναι, ἐντάσσονται εἰς τήν κίνησιν τῶν πάντων πρός τά Ἔσχατα, «ἐν χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καί δεδοξασμένῃ» (Α΄ Πέτρ. α΄, 8), ὡς «υἱοί φωτός… καί υἱοί ἡμέρας» (Α΄ Θεσσ. ε΄, 5).

Κεντρικόν χαρακτηριστικόν τῆς ὀρθοδόξου ζωῆς εἶναι ὁ ἀναστάσιμος παλμός της. Ἀστόχως ἀπεκάλεσεν ὁ φιλόσοφος τήν ὀρθόδοξον πνευματικότητα «σκυθρωπήν» καί «φθινοπωρινήν». Εὐστόχως ἐπαινεῖται ὑπό τῶν Δυτικῶν τό ἀνεπτυγμένον αἰσθητήριον τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων διά τό νόημα καί τό βιωματικόν βάθος τῆς πασχαλίου ἐμπειρίας, χωρίς ὅμως ἡ πίστις αὐτή νά λησμονῇ, ὅτι ἡ πορεία πρός τήν Ἀνάστασιν διέρχεται διά τοῦ Σταυροῦ. Δέν γνωρίζει ἡ ὀρθόδοξος πνευματικότης τόν οὐτοπισμόν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως χωρίς Σταυρόν, οὔτε τήν ἀπαισιοδοξίαν τοῦ Σταυροῦ χωρίς τήν Ἀνάστασιν. Διά τόν λόγον αὐτόν, εἰς τό ὀρθόδοξον βίωμα τό κακόν δέν ἔχει τόν τελευταῖον λόγον ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, ἐνῶ ἡ πίστις εἰς τήν Ἀνάστασιν λειτουργεῖ ὡς κίνητρον διά τόν ἀγῶνα ἐναντίον τῆς παρουσίας ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καί τῶν συνεπειῶν του, δρᾷ ὡς ἰσχυρά μεταμορφωτική δύναμις. Εἰς τήν ὀρθόδοξον αὐτοσυνειδησίαν δέν ὑπάρχει χῶρος διά συνθηκολόγησιν ἀπέναντι εἰς τό κακόν, δι᾿ ἀδιαφορίαν περί τῆς πορείας τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων. Ἀντιθέτως, ἡ συμβολή εἰς τήν μεταμόρφωσιν τῆς ἱστορίας ἔχει θεολογικήν βάσιν καί ὑπαρξιακόν ἔρεισμα καί ἐκτυλίσσεται χωρίς τόν κίνδυνον ταυτίσεως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μέ τόν κόσμον. Ὁ Ὀρθόδοξος πιστός ἔχει συνείδησιν τῆς ἀντιθέσεως μεταξύ τῆς ἐγκοσμίου πραγματικότητος καί τῆς ἐσχατολογικῆς τελειότητος καί δέν εἶναι δυνατόν νά παραμείνῃ ἀδρανής ἀπέναντι εἰς τάς ἀρνητικότητας. Διά τόν λόγον αὐτόν, ἡ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία δέν εἶδε ποτέ τόν ἀγῶνα διά μεταμόρφωσιν τοῦ κόσμου ὡς ἀσήμαντον ὑπόθεσιν. Ἡ πασχάλιος πίστις ἔσωζε τήν Ἐκκλησίαν τόσον ἀπό τήν ἐσωστρέφειαν καί τήν κλειστότητα, ὅσον καί ἀπό τήν ἐκκοσμίκευσιν.

Εἰς τό Πάσχα τῶν ὀρθοδόξων συμπυκνοῦται ὁλόκληρον τό μυστήριον καί ὁ ὑπαρξιακός πλοῦτος τῆς εὐσεβείας μας. Τό «ἐξεθαμβήθησαν» τῶν Μυροφόρων, ὅταν, «εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τό μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον… περιβεβλημένον στολήν λευκήν» (Μάρκ. ιστ΄, 5), χαρακτηρίζει τό μέγεθος καί τήν οὐσίαν τῆς ἐμπειρίας τῆς πίστεως ὡς βιώσεως ὑπαρξιακοῦ συγκλονισμοῦ. Τό «ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι» δηλώνει ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος εὑρίσκεται ἐνώπιον ἑνός μυστηρίου, τό ὁποῖον βαθαίνει, ὅσον τό προσεγγίζει, κατά τό λεχθέν, ὅτι ἡ πίστις μας «δέν εἶναι πορεία ἀπό τό μυστήριο στή γνώση, ἀλλά ἀπό τή γνώση στό μυστήριο».

Ἐνῷ ἡ ἄρνησις τοῦ μυστηρίου συρρικνώνει ὑπαρκτικῶς τόν ἄνθρωπον, ὁ σεβασμός ἀνοίγει εἰς αὐτόν τήν πύλην τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Ἡ πίστις εἰς τήν Ἀνάστασιν εἶναι ἡ βαθυτάτη καί ἀκραιφνεστάτη ἔκφρασις τῆς ἐλευθερίας μας ἤ μᾶλλον ἡ γέννησις αὐτῆς ὡς ἑκουσίας ἀποδοχῆς τῆς ὑψίστης θείας δωρεᾶς τῆς κατά χάριν θεώσεως. Ἡ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία, ὡς «βιωμένη Ἀνάστασις», εἶναι ὁ χῶρος τῆς «ἀληθεστάτης ἐλευθερίας», ἡ ὁποία εἰς τήν χριστιανικήν ζωήν εἶναι θεμέλιον, ὁδός καί προορισμός. Ἡ Ἀνάστασις τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι εὐαγγέλιον ἐλευθερίας, δωρεά ἐλευθερίας καί ἐχέγγυον τῆς «κοινῆς ἐλευθερίας» εἰς τήν «αἰώνιον βιοτήν» τῆς Βασιλείας τοῦ Πατρός καί τοῦ Υἱοῦ καί τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. 

Μέ αὐτά τά αἰσθήματα, τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοί καί πεφιλημένα τέκνα, ἔμπλεοι τῆς πεπληρωμένης χαρᾶς τῆς μετοχῆς εἰς τήν «κοινήν τῶν ὅλων πανήγυριν», λαβόντες φῶς ἐκ τοῦ ἀνεσπέρου φωτός καί δοξάζοντες Χριστόν τόν ἀναστάντα ἐκ νεκρῶν καί ἀνατείλαντα πᾶσι τήν ζωήν, μεμνημένοι δέ κατά τήν πανέορτον ταύτην «κλητήν καί ἁγίαν ἡμέραν», πάντων τῶν ἐν περιστάσεσιν ἀδελφῶν, δεόμεθα τοῦ «πατήσαντος θανάτῳ τόν θάνατον» Κυρίου καί Θεοῦ τῆς εἰρήνης, ὅπως εἰρηνεύῃ τόν κόσμον, καταυγάζῃ τά διαβήματα ἡμῶν πρός πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν καί Αὐτῷ εὐάρεστον, ἀναφωνοῦντες τόν πανευφρόσυνον ὕμνον «Χριστός Ἀνέστη»!

 Φανάριον, Ἅγιον Πάσχα ,βκδ´

† Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως

διάπυρος πρός Χριστόν Ἀναστάντα

εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν.

Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy Pascha 2024

+ B A R T H O L O M E W

BY GOD’S MERCY

ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME 

AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH:

MAY THE GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY OF CHRIST RISEN IN GLORY 

BE WITH YOU ALL

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Most honorable brother Hierarchs and beloved children in the Lord,

By the pleasure and grace of God, the giver of all gifts, having run the race of Holy and Great Lent and spent with compunction the Week of our Lord’s Passion, behold we delight in the celebration of His splendid Resurrection, through which we were redeemed from the tyranny of Hades.

The glorious Resurrection of the Lord Christ from the dead is a shared resurrection of the entire race of mortals and a foretaste of the perfection of all, as well as of the fulfilment of the Divine Oikonomia in the heavenly Kingdom. We participate in the ineffable mystery of the Resurrection in the Church, being sanctified in its sacraments and experiencing Pascha, “which has opened to us the gates of Paradise,” not as a recollection of an event in the past, but as the quintessence of ecclesiastical life, as the presence of Christ ever among us, closer to us than we to ourselves. On Pascha, the Orthodox faithful discover their true selves as being in Christ; they are integrated into the movement of all things to the End Times, “with inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1.8), as “children of light . . . and children of day” (1 Thess. 5.5).

The central feature of Orthodox life is its Resurrectional pulse. Philosophers have wrongly described Orthodox spirituality as “sullen” and “autumnal.” By contrast, Westerners rightly praise the refined perceptiveness of the Orthodox in relation to the meaning and depth of the paschal experience. Yet this faith never forgets that the way to the Resurrection passes through the Cross. Orthodox spirituality does not recognize the utopianism of a Resurrection without Crucifixion, nor the pessimism of the Cross without the Resurrection. For this reason, in the Orthodox experience, evil does not have the final word in history, while faith in the Resurrection serves as the motivation for the struggle against the presence of evil and its consequences in the world, acting as a powerful transformative force. In the Orthodox self-consciousness, there is no place for surrender to evil or for indifference toward the development of human affairs. On the contrary, its contribution to the transformation of history has theological basis and existential grounding and it unfolds without running the risk of identifying the Church with the world. The Orthodox believer is conscious of the antithesis between worldly reality and eschatological perfection. And so he or she cannot remain idle before any negative dimensions of the world. For this reason, the Orthodox Church has never considered the struggle for transforming the world as a meaningless matter. Our faith in the Resurrection has preserved the Church both from introversion and indifference for the world, as well as from secularization.

For us Orthodox, the entire mystery and existential treasure of our piety is condensed into Pascha. When we hear that the Myrrh-bearers “were astonished” upon “entering the tomb and seeing a young man dressed in bright clothes” (Mark 16.5), this characterizes the vastness and essence of our experience of faith as the experience of existential wonder. When we hear that “they were astonished,” this means that we find ourselves before a mystery that becomes deeper the more we approach it, in accordance with what has been said, that our faith “is not a journey from mystery to knowledge, but from knowledge to mystery.”

While the denial of mystery existentially reduces human nature, the respect of mystery opens to us the gates of heaven. Faith in the Resurrection is the deepest and clearest expression of our freedom; or rather, it is the birth of freedom as a voluntary acceptance of the supreme divine gift, namely of deification by grace. As “experienced Resurrection,” the Orthodox Church is the space of “authentic freedom” that for the Christian life is the foundation, way, and destiny. The Resurrection of Christ is the good news of freedom, the gift of freedom, and the guarantee of “shared freedom” in the “eternal life” of the Kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

With these sentiments, most precious brothers and beloved children, filled with the complete joy of participating in “the feast that is shared by all,” having received light from the unwaning light and given glory to Christ risen from the dead and brought life to all – even as we remember during this all-festal “chosen and holy day” all of our brothers and sisters in difficult circumstances – we pray to our Lord “who trampled down death by death,” the God of peace, that He might bring peace to the world and guide our steps toward every deed that is good and pleasing to Him, proclaiming the all-joyous hymn “Christ is Risen!” 

At the Phanar, Holy Pascha 2024

+ Bartholomew of Constantinople

Fervent supplicant for you all

to the Risen Lord

 

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photo: Nicholas Papachristou