Theological Institute Encyclical

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Created on Wednesday, 21 September 2011 15:37

Protocol no. 5

To the Clergy and Faithful of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece in America

Beloved children in the Lord,

It is with much joy that we approve and bless the long-desired establishment of the Holy Three Hierarchs Theological Institute. It shall serve as an online program of pastoral and theological formation for the future clergymen and catechists of our Church, through which young men will learn about the faith and be trained for the priesthood.

The curriculum of Holy Three Hierarchs Institute will provide students with a theological education founded upon a close reading of Sacred Scripture, the Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, the writings of the Holy Fathers, the lives of the saints, and the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church.

We ask the faithful to support this Godly endeavor in whatever way they can, but especially morally. We likewise encourage our Parish Priests and Rectors to encourage their catechists and spiritual children that have discerned a calling to the priesthood to take part in this program.

The Holy Apostle Paul bade his disciple and spiritual son St. Titus thus: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5). Heeding this, we as his successors carry on this commission, ever seeking the called sons of the Church, and in turn bid the young men of our church this: that you not ignore your calling, but that you devote yourselves to it. For as St. Paul admonishes: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Your fervent suppliants before the Lord,

THE HOLY EPARCHIAL SYNOD

PRESIDENT

+ PAVLOS of America

MEMBERS

+ MOSES of Portland and the western United States

+ PHOTIOS of Marathon

+ CHRISTODOULOS of Theoupolis

+ SERGIOS of Loch Lomond

English PDF

Ἀ­ριθ­μός Πρωτ. 5

Πρὸς τὸν Ἱερὸν Κλῆρον καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν πιστῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῶν Γ.Ο.Χ. Ἑλλάδος ἐν Ἀμερικῇ

Ἀγαπητὰ τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ,

Μετὰ χαρᾶς μεγάλης ἐγκρίνομεν καὶ εὐλογοῦμεν τὴν πολυπόθητον ἴδρυσιν τῆς Θεολογικῆς Σχολῆς τῶν Τριῶν Ἱεραρχῶν. Θὰ λειτουργῇ ὡς διαδικτυακὸν πρόγραμμα ποιμαντορικῆς καὶ θεολογικῆς μορφώσεως διὰ μέλλοντας κληρικοὺς καὶ κατηχητὰς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας — εἷς τρόπος διὰ τοῦ ὁποίου οἱ νέοι θὰ δύνανται νὰ μάθουν τὴν πίστιν καὶ θὰ ἐκπαιδευθοῦν διὰ τὴν ἱερωσύνην.

Τὸ πρόγραμμα σπουδῶν τῆς Θεολογικῆς Σχολῆς τῶν Τριῶν Ἱεραρχῶν θὰ προσφέρῃ εἰς τοὺς φοιτητὰς μίαν θεολογικὴν ἐκπαίδευσιν ἡ ὁποία στηρίζεται εἰς προσεκτικὴν μελέτην τῆς Ἁγίας Γραφῆς, τῶν Ὅρων τῶν Οἰκουμενικῶν Συνόδων, τῶν Ἁγίων Πατέρων, τῶν βίων τῶν Ἁγίων, καὶ τῶν λειτουργικῶν κειμένων τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Εκκλησίας.

Παρακαλοῦμεν τὸν πιστὸν λαὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας νὰ ὑποστηρίζῃ αὐτὴν τὴν θεάρεστην προσπάθειαν μὲ κάθε δυνατὴν ἐνέργειαν, προπαντὸς ἠθικῶς. Ἐπίσης ἐνθαρρύνομεν τοὺς προϊσταμένους καὶ τοὺς Ἐφημερίους τῶν ἐνοριῶν νὰ προτρέπουν τοὺς κατηχητὰς καὶ τὰ πνευματικά των τέκνα εἰς τὰ ὁποῖα ἔχουν διακρίνει κλῆσιν πρὸς τὴν ἱερωσύνην νὰ συμμετάσχουν εἰς τὸ πρόγραμμα αὐτό.

Ὁ Ἀπόστολος τῶν Ἐθνῶν λέγει πρὸς τὸν μαθητὴν καὶ πνευματικὸν του τέκνον Τίτον τὰ ἑξῆς: «Τούτου χάριν κατέλιπόν σε ἐν Κρήτῃ, ἵνα τὰ λείποντα ἐπιδιορθώσῃ, καὶ καταστήσῃς κατὰ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην» (Τίτον Α’: 5, 6). Ὑακούοντες τούτῳ, ὡς διάδοχοί του συνεχίζομεν νὰ τηροῦμεν τὴν ἐντολὴν αὐτοῦ, πάντοτε ζητοῦντες τοὺς κεκλημένους υἱοὺς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ ἐντελλόμεθα τοὺς νέους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας: Μὴ ἀμελεῖτε τὴν κλῆσιν σας, ἀλλὰ ἀφιερώσατε τὸν ἐαυτόν σας εἰς αὐτὸ. Διότι ὁ Ἀπόστολος Παῦλος λέγει «ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, ἐπίμενε αὐτοῖς· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν καὶ σεαυτὸν σώσεις καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντάς σου.» (1 Τιμόθεον Δ’: 12 - 16).

Διάπυροι ἱκέται ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον,

Η ΙΕΡΑ ΕΠΑΡΧΙΑΚΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ

ὁ Πρόεδρος

† ὁ Ἀµερικῆς ΠΑΥΛΟΣ

τὰ Μέλη

† ὁ Πόρτλαντ & Δυτικῶν Ἡνωμένων Πολιτειῶν ΜΩΫΣΗΣ

† ὁ Μαραθῶνος ΦΩΤΙΟΣ

† ὁ Θεουπόλεως ΧΡΙΣΤΟ∆ΟΥΛΟΣ

† ὁ Λόχ Λόμοντ ΣΕΡΓΙΟΣ

Ελληνικά PDF