Description of 3rd Conference

Description of 3rd Conference

Network of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Pastoral Health Care
3rd International Conference - Rhodes, 8-12 October 2014
Theme: “The Wound”

There is no doubt that we are living in one of the most difficult and complex times in recent human history. Disillusionment from the past, the impasse presented today, doubt and fear of the future to the point of desperation for many, lead some to question the very existence of their own essence. Unfortunately, instead of finding a solution for the conditions that brought society and him to this impasse, deep existential pain is expressed through anger and resentment, and so being deeply wounded, the wounds cannot close and they multiply.

Recently, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized that we all have been invited to minister to the "great wound" and the "great miracle" - man. Thus, in the difficult times we live in, we need to understand the reasons and the ways that our fellow man has been wounded - reaching to desperation. It is important for us to delve into this, as this is the only way to approach him, to understand him and to minister, to contribute, by the grace of God, in the healing of his wounds.

For this reason, with the approval of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with the blessings of the Ecumenical Patriarch, 3rd International Conference of the Network of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Pastoral Health Care will be held on October 8 – 12, 2014 in Rhodes. The theme of the Conference will be  “The Wound”.

Guests will be invited to consider the theological and medical - scientific aspects of “The Wound”: how people are injured in the various stages of life, particularly from physical illness, from abuse, from natural disasters and national calamities, and how they can deal with these wounds in the most appropriate manner .

Attending the Conference will be representatives of Metropolises belong spiritually and administratively to the Ecumenical Patriarchate across the land, the other Patriarchates, the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, the Orthodox Theological Schools  and Ecclesiastical academies in Greece and abroad, doctors and nurses, and those related to the ministry and patient care in the sensitive field of health.

Ecumenical Patriarch's letter for 3rd Conference