The 54-member delegation of the Debrecen Reformed Presbytery followed in Paul the Apostle’s footsteps and spent 11 days in Turkey. On the last day of the study visit, a small group of the delegation paid their respects to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
The delegation to visit His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, was led by Bishop Károly Fekete, Vice President of the Synod, and he was accompanied by Dean Zsigmond Vad, Head of the International and Ecumenical Relations Committee, and Mission Pastor Endre Iszlai. The meeting provided a chance for the delegation to honor the Patriarch’s ecumenical activities, his role in both Christian and interreligious dialogue, and his commitment to Hungary’s Christians.
Ever since his election, the Patriarch has advocated for the protection of creation. He regularly organizes high-level conferences for environmental protection and he’s been preparing to take part in the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. With reference to this, the delegation talked about ‘the Week of Creation’ program organized by the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary, where participants discussed the topic of energy and climate change, and they also mentioned the Eco-congregation Program and its goal for congregations to take responsibility to protect the world God created.
The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid’s plan for an emergency relief in North-East Syria also came up during the meeting, mentioning that local Christian Aid Organization is already preparing for the arrival of the HRCA.
Bishop Károly Fekete also offered an academic cooperation between the Debrecen Reformed Theological University and the world famous library of the Halki Theological Seminary of Istanbul. Even though the state discontinued theological education, to this day, theology still develops there. The delegation, moreover, donated the facsimile edition of the Hanau Bible, copies of the revised versions of the Hungarian translations of the Bible, and the commemorative coin of the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District. The delegation leader invited the Patriarch to Debrecen the next time he visits Hungary, as well.
According to tradition, the founder and patron Saint of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is Andrew the Apostle, to whom the Saint Andrew Church of Debrecen was dedicated to. Today the symbol of Reformed Church, the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen, stands in its place, which is why Dean Zsigmond Vad gifted the Patriarch with a gilded miniature picture of the Reformed Great Church.
During the informal meeting, the Patriarch talked about his visit to Hungary at the invitation of the Prime Minister in March where he met with church and political leaders, and he said a few words about the preparations of the Pan-Orthodox Synod planned for the Pentecost of 2016. He also expressed his hopes that with the help of the government, the believers of the Patriarchate can find a place in Hungary.
Source: Website of the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District
Translated by Melinda Kara