Interview
“The Church of Greece has a constant witness on the issues of the ecumenical movement,” he says. “I think the key word for our presence in the ecumenical movement is ‘participation.’ ”
He pledges that the Church of Greece will continue to be engaged and continue to participate in the ecumenical movement.
“How we can work to have democracy in action, and democracy in the real world?” the metropolitan asks. “We have so many conflicts, and people, especially children, are losing their lives.”
He urges people to speak and approach this spiritually. “Be humble, be faithful to God, be peaceful in our hearts,” he says. “This is what we want to do: give a very clear message from Athens that democracy is not a regime, it’s a virtue.”
Metropolitan Gabriel further reflects that people are fed up with nice words, and that they have to see action. “This is what we should address all over the world, and this is what Christians need to do today: we have to be the example,” he said. “What is missing today is a real presentation of the Gospel.”
Message of the CCIA Life and Work Centenary Consultation in Athens
Ecumenical Week in Stockholm 2025
*The interview with Metropolitan Gabriel of Nea Ionia is part of a video interview series recorded in Athens, Greece, during the WCC Life and Work Centenary Consultation (May 2025), exploring moral leadership, justice, and ecumenical unity. Conversations with church leaders and thinkers address global crises from an ecumenical perspective. These interviews connect historical milestones (Stockholm 1925, Nicaea) to present challenges and spiritual life. A WCC cooperation with Andreas Loudaros/Orthodoxia.Info
