Helsinki, Finland. 1 – 2 December 2025. Participation of the IAO leadership in the CEC Conference on the role of Churches in the promotion of peace

The Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), member of the Hellenic Parliament, Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, accompanied by the President of the IAO General Assembly, member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Ioan Vulpescu, and the IAO Advisor, Dr. Kostas Mygdalis, traveled to Helsinki to participate in a Conference on the role of Churches in promoting Peace, and the challenges they are called upon to respond to a perception of the identification of state ideology and Church. The conference is co-organized by the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church of Finland, with the participation of personalities from the fields of theology, church life and the academic community.

The opening ceremony of the conference began with greetings from the Archbishop of Turku, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Dr. Tapio Luoma, the Archbishop of Helsinki and All Finland of the Orthodox Church, Mr. Ilias, the President of the Parliament of Finland, Mr. Jussi Kristian Halla-aho, and the Vice-President of the CEC, from the Church of England, Dr. Dagmar Winter.

The head of the interparliamentary institution emphasized, “Churches in the modern era are called upon to play a unifying role as arks of peace. In a world violently shaken by military conflicts, threatening revisionisms, the emergence of power as the dominant element of international relations, as well as materialistic models that undermine the basic pillars of our civilization, Christian Churches can offer the proposal of mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. Particularly in Europe, which was also built on Christian principles, ecclesiastical institutions emerge as crucial factors in shaping the new framework of relations between the nations of our continent, as long as they remain faithful to ecclesiastical traditions.”

On the sidelines of the Conference, coordinated on behalf of the CEC by Ms. Katerina Pekridou, the IAO leadership had the opportunity to meet with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Mr. Jussi Kristian Halla-aho. The Speaker was informed about the upcoming IAO General Assembly to be held in Helsinki in June 2026 and was invited to declare the opening of the works.

Moreover, the IAO delegation had a meeting with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Finland, Metropolitan of Helsinki and All Finland, Mr. Elias, during which the IAO leadership was informed on the Orthodox community in Finland and the challenges it faces. The meeting was also attended by the former Metropolitan of Helsinki, Mr. Ambrosios.

Στις εργασίες του συνεδρίου από την Ελλάδα συμμετείχαν, μεταξύ άλλων, ο Μητροπολίτης Περιστερίου κ. Γρηγόριος, ο Διευθυντής της Ακαδημίας Θεολογικών Σπουδών Βόλου, κ. Παντελής Καλαϊτζίδης και ο συνεργάτης της Ακαδημίας κ. Νίκος Κουρεμένος.