Untitled Document

Concerning the “miraculous” phenomenon of the Blessed Virgin in the Paris region
Paris, 9th of March 2010

On Friday 12 February 2010, during Cheesefare Week, i.e. three days before the beginning of the fast of Great Lent, the Holy Theotokos made her grace manifest in an icon of her owned by a Christian family belonging to the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the Paris region: the faithful and pious family of Falassios Altindagoglou, originating from the city of Antioch in Turkey and belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. This is in the form of the icon miraculously and almost continuously exuding oil, since 12 February last. We have seen – as many have witnessed – that the icon of the Holy Theotokos in their home, 30 x 20 cm in size, made of paper laminated onto wood, is emitting oil from all its sides in an inexplicable manner, such that the holy oil streams from the icon onto the wall on which it is hanging.
If this indicates anything, it is that the Holy Virgin is blessing this faithful family as she also blesses all the faithful and all mankind. During this blessed time of Great Lent she prompts us to remember the life eternal and the spiritual life in the midst of this world, where we face many material challenges and many concerns and problems. It teaches us to return to ourselves so that we cleanse ourselves of every vice and sin, to adhere to the Church and practise the Holy Sacraments that are within her and, with peaceful boldness, to bear witness to Christ in the society in which we live, here and now, where the Lord has placed us.
Our mother, the Holy Theotokos, is a loving mother. All that she asks of us is that we strive for the salvation of our souls by our faith in the only Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Her voice in the Gospel resounds in our ears to this day, calling and saying to us: “Do whatever He tells you” (John, 2.5).
It is important for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, the ecclesiastical authority to which the decision on any matter concerning this phenomenon is to be referred, to advise and declare that, above all, it wishes to keep this phenomenon strictly within its spiritual and ecclesiastical framework, in keeping with the spiritual message that it contains, and that it is to be treated in compliance with the Orthodox ecclesiastical tradition and the teachings of our Church, calmly and faithfully, and in accordance with the maintenance of public order in France and respect for the law.
Therefore, we ask everyone to respect this miraculous phenomenon, and that the faithful in particular approach it with calm, silence and humility, taking refuge in prayer and supplication, and that we strive to be wary of any type of sliding into advertising or other human act that distances us from the spirit of the Church, so that the wish of the Holy Virgin can be fulfilled within us: that we continually say to the Lord God: “Thy will be done”, so that we are witnesses for Him in today’s world, which is suffering but is still drawn towards hope.

The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Western and Central Europe, with headquarters in Paris (16 Rue Kléber, 16th Arrondissement), is one of the dioceses of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East, one of the oldest local and autonomous Orthodox Churches (with headquarters in Damascus). In addition to France, the Archdiocese has ecclesiastical authority over a group of parishes in a number of countries in Western and Central Europe. The Archdiocese is under the care of His Eminence Metropolitan John Yazigi, a member of the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, and of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in France (AEOF), which brings together all the Orthodox Metropolitans in France, who represent the local Orthodox Churches which are in communion with each other.

Antiochian Greek-Orthodox Archdiocese of Western and Central Europe with the see in Paris (22 avenue Kléber, 16è Paris) is one of the Antiochian Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate of all the East dioceses (with the see at Damask), one of the oldest autocephalous Orthodox Churches. The jurisdiction of the Archdiocese covers, besides France, several European countries. It is placed under the omophorion of Metropolitan John(YAZIGI) member of the Holy Synod of Antiochian Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate and of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of France (AOBF), church authority which brings together all the canonical orthodox bishops of this country.