"We will learn from the text of the Church’s message to the modern world what topics it and the society as a whole consider to be important," Archdeacon John Chryssavgis, adviser to Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, said.
Archdeacon Chryssavgis said the unity of all churches belonging to the Eastern Orthodox tradition was the priority.
"Other topics that concern the Orthodox Church, society and Orthodox Christians around the world are family and marriage, spiritual life of Orthodox Christians, social issues like ecology and morality of an individual, global issues like war, persecution of Christians in different countries, mostly where the roots of Christianity are – in the Middle East, but also refugees," Archdeacon John Chryssavgis said.
The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, also known as the Pan-Orthodox Council, is set to be held on the Greek island of Crete on June 19-26, after more than 50 years of preparations. A number of churches, including the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church have refused to participate in the council as the procedure and documents of the council have not been worked out properly yet.
