October 29, 2009
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS WELCOMES HIS ALL-HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
Message to Welcome His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to Whom belongs all glory, honor and worship. Amen.

Your All-Holiness, Your Eminence, Archbishop Donoghue, my brother Hierarchs, honored guests, my con-celebrants the Priests of the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta, the Faithful and my brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today is a glorious and historic day for all the Orthodox Faithful in the United States of America, and especially our Holy Metropolis of Atlanta, as we receive the honor of the visit of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, our Spiritual Leader and Father.

Today as we receive with filial love and respect our beloved Spiritual Father, the leader of the Orthodox world, our hearts are filled with joy, so much so that we cannot express the happiness we feel at Your decision to be with us.

Indeed we give thanks and praise to Almighty God that we have been blessed with a Spiritual Father who does not hesitate to do what is right and what is needed – who will travel all over the world and speak the truth about environmental issues, building upon solid theological foundations for a positive attitude toward the environment, which found in the Scriptures and the Tradition of the Orthodox Church. You have told us that "A good Christian is not permitted by conscience to destroy nature and the environment."

The Church through our beloved Spiritual Father, Patriarch Bartholomew, calls us to reconnect to a right relationship to Creation. The concern of our beloved Spiritual Father for the environment constantly reminds us that we are not users, but rather guardians of Creation. This is a spiritual aspect that we do not hear very often in today’s society. As Orthodox Christians, we must care for Creation because it is God’s Creation – not ours, and because we have a responsibility to nurture and protect what God has placed into our care. Man has dominion over the earth and all that is in it. This does not mean that we are free to exploit the earth, but rather our role is one of stewardship and responsibility, of preserving and maintaining God’s Creation. We have the choice to damage the earth through our greed and carelessness or to use it in such a way that its beauty reflects and reveals God’s handiwork,d through our devoted stewardship.

So we need Your wisdom and guidance and we are thankful to God for Your inspiration and faithful witness. With humility as your spiritual son, but with great pride in our family on behalf of His Eminence, the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the Clergy, Archons, the Faithful, honored guests and friends, I express our gratitude and appreciation for sharing Your thoughts with us, so that we are able to put our lives in order and live as God intended us to live.

Most importantly, we are thankful for the opportunity to see our Spiritual Father, as You lead us in prayer and we receive Your blessings.