Eastern Christian Leaders Gather at St. John the Baptist Monastery in U.K.

Bishops and priests of various Eastern Christian groups gathered in Essex. Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain

ESSEX — On Thursday, Oct. 30, hierarchs and clergy from various Eastern Christian communities in the United Kingdom met at the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex for an informal day of fellowship, reflection, and discussion. The gathering was hosted by the Fr. Hegumen, Archimandrite Peter, and the monastic community, under the auspices of His Eminence Abp. Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain.

As shared by the archdiocese, in his opening remarks, Abp. Nikitas emphasized that between 2.5 and 3 million people of Eastern Christian heritage live in the U.K., urging greater cooperation among the Churches “without blurring canonical or credal boundaries.” He underscored that the voice of Eastern Christianity is “stronger when raised together” in witness to faith and service in British society.

Participants included hierarchs and clergy from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Antioch, Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia, as well as representatives of the Coptic, Armenian, Ukrainian Greek Catholic, and Assyrian Churches.

The day featured an address by Archimandrite Peter on the life and teaching of St. Silouan the Athonite and St. Sophrony, the Monastery’s founder, followed by reflections from Archimandrite Zacharias and a guided tour of the Monastery. The meeting concluded with lunch shared among the hierarchs, clergy, and the monastic brotherhood.

Abp. Nikitas and his fellow hierarchs expressed heartfelt gratitude to Archimandrite Peter and the monastic community for their generous hospitality and warm welcome.

Previously, UOJ reported that Eastern Christian bishops in the United Kingdom signed a letter opposing assisted suicide.

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