Metropolitan praises Synod work
HONG KONG (SE): The Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in Hong Kong expressed his support for the work of the Catholic Diocesan Synod in a speech at the last public forum on the synod documents.
Invited to address the synod delegates and general participants at St Margaret's Church last month, Metropolitan Nikitas thanked the Catholic diocese for seeking out the views of other Christians in the SAR. Representatives from some of Hong Kong's other Christian communities, such as the Hong Kong Christian Council and the Anglican Church, had been invited to attend the synod meetings and share their views.
In his speech, the Metropolitan expressed his support for the efforts of the local Catholic Church to speak to the world through social action: "This voice proclaims the Truth of Christ and must not be compromised in any way. The church may be seen as being in opposition to the world and its ways, but it is critical that the body of the faithful remain firm in its commitment to Truth."
Referring to the second draft synod documents, the Metropolitan said the church was correct in assuming the "role in the defence of life issues".
Commenting on other issues raised in the synod documents, the Orthodox archbishop said: "I believe that proper emphasis is given to Faith Formation -- however, I personally believe that more emphasis is needed on 'Understanding the Self'. In the context of our world, it is only the church that gives identity and meaning to life. A person must completely understand himself/herself as a person, a Christian. In doing so, he/she struggles to find the levels of balance in this world. The individual must find and maintain a balance with God, society and himself/herself. A person who is in balance and has his identity, then, becomes the one who will evangelize."
He encouraged the churches to take the lead in showing youth how to confront and address the issues of life: "The draft correctly and wisely states that the youth must assume leadership positions, including in the parish. ... The church must challenge the 'ways of the world' -- competition, drive for vain-glory, the lust for power and financial success, etc." The Metropolitan lamented that: "Regretfully, Hong Kong appears to many as being a city with no 'soul'." He urged the church to help young people find their souls. Young people are not "second class citizens" in the church, he said.
On the topic of Promoting Chinese Culture, Nikitas called for caution. "The church has always taken on aspects of culture and Christianized them," he said. But he warned that in the process of inculturation the Truth must not be compromised. "This is, perhaps, the most difficult of all challenges the church faces," he added.