Reports have been received of a foiled assassination attempt against the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomaeos. The Turkish police announced that they have arrested two young men who planned the attack to take place in the Phanar district of Istanbul, where the patriarchate is located. Writing to Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira to express his profound shock at this news, Abba Seraphim also gave thanks to Almighty God “for His Providential Mercy in preventing such wickedness to triumph.” He found it very difficult to believe that anyone should wish to deprive us of so wise and gentle a peacemaker and said that in our troubled world we not only need more people who follow his eirenic example but we also need to listen to them carefully and cherish their message. Abba Seraphim accordingly instructed all his clergy to offer prayers of thanksgiving for the Patriarch’s deliverance and to pray that God will grant him a long and fruitful ministry among us.

On 8 March Abba Seraphim attended the last in the present series of Late Antique & Byzantine Seminars at King’s College, London, which was given by Dr. Irene Giviashili, Postdoctoral Fellow. Although a centre of the ancient Georgian principality of Tao-Klarjeti, which comprised what is now the north-eastern Turkish provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, Ardahan and Kars, it was one of the most important ecclesiastical centres of ancient Georgia and today remains a centre of pilgrimage and academic study. Sadly, in recent years it has been neglected and vandalised but serious conservation co-operation is being discussed between the Georgian and Turkish governments to preserve this significant site.

Abba Seraphim was among the ecumenical guests who attended the enthronement of the Right Rev’d Christopher Chessum as tenth Bishop of Southwark, in Southwark Cathedral on 6 March. Bishop Christopher has served as a very popular Suffragen Bishop of Woolwich for the past eight years and his appointment as diocesan bishop has been well received. Abba Seraphim works together with Bishop Christopher on the Tur Abdin Focus Group.  His love for the Orthodox Churches has also been demonstrated by his support for the campaign to free Abune Antonios of Eritrea and and he has also recently joined the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Regional Forum. Bishop Christopher has supported and encouraged the long-standing warm relations between the United Benefice of St. Luke & St. Thomas at Charlton, where the British Orthodox Church has been accorded hospitality for more than two decades.

The Enthronement took place during Choral Evensong and was followed by a reception in nearby Glaziers’ Hall.  A large number of Anglican bishops were in attendance, including Bishop Christopher’s three immediate predecessors in the diocese of Southwark and four bishops from the Anglican diocese of Zimbabwe, which is twinned with Southwark. Earlier in the day Bishop Christopher and the Bishop of London (The Right Rev’d Richard Chartres) had met together symbolically on London Bridge to pledge co-operation in Christian witness in London, which is divided between the two dioceses. Also present were the Catholic Archbishop of Southwark (Most Rev’d Peter Smith) and His Grace Bishop Angaelos.

On 5 March Abba Seraphim met with the deacons for the congregations at Bournemouth and Portsmouth at the home of Father Simon Smyth near Portsmouth to talk to them about the principles of good ministry in the church. Abba Seraphim emphasised the importance of thorough preparation and encouraged the deacons to come to church not only in a state of spiritual preparedness but also having checked the lectionary and the synaxarion for the day. It is their responsibility to support the celebrant in his ministry and to ensure that the liturgical services flow smoothly so that all might benefit from the experience of worship.

Father Peter and the congregation of St Albans Orthodox Church in Chatham organised a Family and Friends Liturgy this past Sunday. The beginning of Great Lent seemed an appropriate opportunity to pause and consider the meaning of our Christian life both for ourselves and for those folk who we are in contact with. We sent out quite a few emails to people we have welcomed as occasional worshippers, or as enquirers, as well as members of our families, and I wrote some note cards to a few people, personally inviting them.

On Sunday the Church looked beautiful. Members of the congregation had been in early to make sure everything was clean, and to arrange fresh flowers and light the candles. As usual it is never known who would respond, but we had prayed and left our organisation and efforts in God’s hands, since the harvest belongs to the Lord.

By the time the Liturgy proper was underway we had 8 visitors, many of whom had never worshipped with us before. I made a point of greeting each one at the Kiss of Peace, and afterwards made sure that each received some of the anti-doran and a blessing. I had deliberately made use of the prospect of seeing some new faces to preach a sermon on fasting which considered its Biblical origins and its being part of the tradition of the Church from the very beginning.

Afterwards some of our congregation had prepared a buffet for us to share with our guests, and they all stayed for conversation and a light lunch with us. This is a useful means of inviting people to a fairly non-threatening situation, they are, after all, being categorised as Friends and Family. We will certainly be organising a similar event later in the year. We hope that some of the relationships we strengthened on Sunday will blossom into a greater desire to share our Orthodox Christian life.