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2. Participating in the Holy Eucharist and praying for the whole world, we must
continue the ‘liturgy after the Divine Liturgy’ and give the witness of faith to
those near and those far off, in accordance with the Lord’s clear command
before His ascension, “And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all
Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Ac. 1: 8). The re-evangelization
of God’s people in modern, secularized societies and the evangelization of
those who have still not come to know Christ remain an unceasing obligation
for the Church.

3. In response to her obligation to witness to the truth and her apostolic faith,
our Church attaches great importance to dialogue, primarily with non
Orthodox Christians. In this way the remainder of the Christian world comes
to know more precisely the authenticity of the Orthodox Tradition, the value
of patristic teaching and the liturgical life and faith of the Orthodox. The
dialogues conducted by the Orthodox Church never imply a compromise in
matters of faith.
4. The explosions of fundamentalism observed within various religions
represent an expression of morbid religiosity. Sober inter-religious dialogue helps
significantly to promote mutual trust, peace and reconciliation. The oil of
religious experience must be used to heal wounds and not to rekindle the fire
of military conflicts. The Orthodox Church unequivocally condemns the
extension of military violence, persecutions, the expulsion and murder of
members of religious minorities, forced conversions, the trafficking of refugees,
the abductions, torture and abhorrent executions. She denounces the
destruction of churches, religious symbols and cultural monuments. Very
particularly, she expresses her deep concern about the situation of Christians
and of all the persecuted minorities in the Middle East. She calls on the
governments in the region to protect the indigenous Orthodox and other
Christians and all the populations who have an inalienable right to remain in
their countries as citizens with equal rights. Our Council appeals to all parties
involved to make systematic efforts without delay to bring to an end the
military conflicts in the Middle East and wherever armed hostilities persist and
to enable all those displaced to return to their homes.
We address our appeal particularly to those in positions of power to act
so that peace and justice may prevail in the countries of origin of the refugees.
We urge the civil authorities, the citizens and the Orthodox Christians in the
countries in which the persecuted are taking refuge to continue to offer help to
the limit or even beyond the limit of their abilities.

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