Orthodox nations agree on holy alliance
Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis yesterday joined envoys of the overwhelmingly Orthodox nations of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Russia and Ukraine in signing a pact aimed at boosting the Christian roots of European culture. In a statement signed after talks at Athens’s Byzantine and Christian Museum, the officials pledged to «highlight those forces which will contribute to European cohesion, based on common moral values and respect for diversity.» The five nations are members of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy, founded by rightist MP Stelios Papathemelis. The pact called for «enhancing the cultural elements of Orthodoxy.» It also praised the Orthodox Church’s activities in «contributing to stability, peace and appeasement.» «Orthodoxy is a stance and way of life, linking religious theory and faith with practice,» Voulgarakis said.
