Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware): Orthodox Church is Celestial Church on the earth

On August 27 a meeting took place with hierarch of Constantinople Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Diokleia Kallistos (Ware) in the ceremony hall of the General Post-graduate and Doctoral School of Theology of St. Cyril and Methodius. It is reported by the official site of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Vladyka Kallistos answered numerous questions of listeners. In particular, he told about his way to God and why he, being born in a Protestant country, got attracted to Orthodoxy. “I was raised as an Anglican and got familiar with the Orthodox Church at the age of 17,” the hierarch shared his memories. “Thanks to the God’s providence I appeared in an Orthodox Cathedral in London. I entered the church – there was a Saturday evening service there.” According to the Metropolitan, he realized that the parishioners, praying at the church service, were taking part in a far more considerable act than it might have seemed at first. 

“I understood that in fact the church was full of invisible men of fervent prayer, I realized there were angels and saints who were invisibly present there, and among them, of course, Jesus Christ Himself. There was a feeling that was a Celestial Church on the earth. It dawned to me I had come back home and had to stay there and nowhere else,” said Vladyka.

During the meeting, which was held in a warm friendly atmosphere, they touched on theological and philosophical topics, in particular, about heated discussions concerning whether theology is a scientific discipline, about inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, about translation of typicons, about the dispute on the “Consensus partum” principle in the Orthodox Church.

Besides, there was raised a wide range of issues related to the life of a Christian in a contemporary world. Metropolitan Kallistos gave comprehensive and profound answers to each listener’s questions.

It will be reminded, Metropolitan of Diokleia Kallistos (Ware) – Professor of Theology at Oxford University, Chairman of the Joint Commission on Orthodox-Anglican dialogue, head of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Orthodox Christian studies in Cambridge and honored doctor of the General Post-Graduate and Doctoral School of Theology of St. Cyril and Methodius.

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