The Pastoral Visit of His Eminence Metropolitan John, Bishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Europe, to Britain 14/11 - 11/12/2008 His Eminence Metropolitan John undertook a pastoral tour from mid November until the 11th December 2008 during which he visited a number of our Antiochian Orthodox parishes in the UK. In this tour he met his Antiochian parishioners who are of Arab origins, and his British parishioners who have joined the Antiochian Church, at a number of paternal gatherings during which he listened to their suggestions, opinions and ecclesiastical aspirations and sat with them to a number of Agape meals that brought parishioners together in an atmosphere of happiness and joy. This tour has also been characterised with numerous rich meetings with official authorities and academic bodies. His Eminence has visited the Syrian Embassy in London where he met with His Excellency the Ambassador Dr. Sami Al-Khyami and some of the other diplomatic personnel at the Embassy, including Dr. Buthaynah Sha'baan, all of whom expressed all willingness to cooperate and offer service to our community. His Eminence also visited the Lebanese Embassy in London and met with Her Excellency Mrs In'aam Osseyran in an atmosphere of friendliness and cooperation. As for the Church Authorities His Eminence visited the Head of the Anglican Church in the UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams. He also visited His Eminence Bishop Athanasios, Bishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church in London. Also, he visited the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of St. Athanasios where he met Bishop Anthony, Bishop of Ireland, Scotland and the North of Britain, and the other monks with him, in an outstandingly warm atmosphere. His Eminence discussed with these distinguished heads of churches the ways to strengthen and develop relations between us, and the necessity to meet more often in order to get to know each other better so as to serve the Church of Christ. As for his meetings with his brethren the Greek Orthodox Bishops in the UK, they were characterised with intimacy and outstandingly friendly relations. In London, he visited His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios, Metropolitan of Thyateira of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In Oxford, he visited Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Bishop of Dioklia, and Bishop Basil, Bishop of Amphipolis, and discussed with them at length the brotherly ties that hold us together and the duties that keep us active in the service of our sons and daughters and in seating Orthodoxy well in the world. The academic atmosphere that characterised part of the tour took an evangelical blueprint especially as His Eminence explained the particular character of Antioch to his listeners. For he gave a few talks at various universities in the UK. In York, he gave a talk at St. John's University entitled "Christianity in the Middle East" which was attended by the Dean of Theology and Education College, Professor Julian Stem. In Lincoln, he gave a talk at Bishop Grosseteste College entitled "The Patriarchate of Antioch and Christianity in the Middle East" and this was attended by Mr. Ghassan Dalla representing the Syrian Ambassador together with a number of Lecturers at the university and other distinguished guests. In those talks His Eminence explained the most salient characteristics that distinguish the Orthodox spirituality and the Antiochian Church and the witness that this Church bears in the Middle East and in the whole wide world. His Eminence also took questions from the floor and answered them at the end of each talk His visits to St. Benet's Hall in Oxford and to the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS) at Cambridge and also to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex were all very well received. As for the Liturgical aspect of this pastoral tour His Eminence held services and prayed together with his parishioners wherever he went. In London he presided over a Holy Mass service at St. George's Cathedral and met, at the end of the service, with the youth of the parish and encouraged them to meet regularly. He also celebrated Mass many other times in the other parishes he visited, blessing and encouraging the believers in each of York, Doncaster, Louth and Lincoln. And at his visit to the parish in Louth His Eminence consecrated the new Iconostas (alter screen) of St. Aethelheard Church. Also, His Eminence has not abstained from attending the Annual Charity Dinner of the Antiochian Orthodox Society that was held in London and was attended by representatives from other churches as well as some ambassadors and other dignitaries. He gave a speech there in which he expressed his delight at seeing those brethren meeting together. It is also worth mentioning that he had started this pastoral tour with a paternal meeting for all the parish priests in Britain and Ireland who are under him. In this meeting he emphasised the importance of working together for the benefit of the believers and then it was agreed to proclaim Saint Theodore of Tarsus of Antioch a Patron Saint for our congregations in Britain and Saint Patrick a Patron Saint for our congregations in Ireland. And despite the large number of those official and popular, and group and individual, meetings, His Eminence had embraced all persons with his love wishing them all prosperity and good health. He gave them his blessings and he took his leave of them in the hope of meeting with them again to continue working together for the benefit of the Church and the whole World. Communications and Press office
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