A promoter of the Pan-Orthodox Synodality – Metropolitan Damaskinos Papandreou (1936 – 2011) –
12/11/2011
Message of condolences addressed by His Beatitude DANIEL, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the funeral service of His Eminence Damaskinos Papandreou, the first Metropolitan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Switzerland, from 1982 – 2003:
It is with deep sorrow that we have learned of the passing away, after a long sufferance, of Metropolitan Damaskinos Papandreou (1936 – 2011), a remarkable personality of the entire Christianity and a good friend of the Romanian Orthodox Church and of the Romanian people.
Metropolitan Damaskinos graduated from the Orthodox Theological Institute of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Halki (1959) and then continued his post-graduate studies in Church History and Philosophy of Religions at the Universities of Bonn and Marburg (1959 – 1965). He was ordained hieromonk and, then, raised to the rank of Archimandrite in 1961. In 1966, he became doctor of the Faculty of Theology in Athens and appointed abbot of the Orthodox Monastic Centre in Taizé, France.
In 1966, with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, he set up the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy – Geneva, Switzerland, where he was appointed director (1969).
In 1968, the Secretariat for the Preparation of the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church was set up, seated in Chambésy – Geneva, with Metropolitan Damaskinos of Switzerland as co-ordinator of this Secretariat, a dignity that he would hold for thirty years, unfolding a very laborious and sometimes difficult activity in view of drafting the documents and reports for the Inter-Orthodox preparatory commissions and for the Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar conferences, in order to ensure the communication between the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches and for the inter-Christian dialogues. His multiple efforts made in favour of the pan-Orthodox synodal practice made the Orthodox Christians familiar with the thematic of the future pan-Orthodox Synod, helping many of them understand that Orthodoxy exceeds the limits of the nations and geographical regions, being the manifestation of the love of God for the entire humankind.
In 1970, he was elected Metropolitan of Tranoupoleos and, in 1982, he became the first Metropolitan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Switzerland. In 1997, he set up a postgraduate Orthodox Theological Institute at Chambésy, Geneva. In 1999, he was elected President of the International Academy of Religious Sciences, from Brussels, and, in 2003, he retired from the position of Metropolitan of Switzerland, for health reasons, receiving the honorary title of “Metropolitan of Andrianopolis”.
Metropolitan Damaskinos Papandreou undertook an extensive ecclesiastic, ecumenical and inter-religious activity. As a recognition of his merits, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by several Universities from Europe and from all over the world. He was awarded high distinctions and honours on behalf of several Orthodox Autocephalous Churches. He was the first holder of the Abt Emmanuel Heufelder prize from the Roman Catholic Monastery of Niederaltaich, for his ecumenical contribution to the rapprochement between Churches. His research on the theological and ecumenical dialogues was materialised in over 200 monographs, studies, articles, courses, and conferences.
Having been a good friend of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in 1981, Metropolitan Damaskinos was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology from Bucharest.
We also keep a vivid memory in our soul of the awarding event of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University from Iaşi, on 4 June 1999.
A remarkable personality, but also sociable, Metropolitan Damaskinos could dialogue both with ordinary persons and with outstanding personalities in high positions. Aided by a vast theological culture, by a natural spiritual nobleness, by a vast ecumenical and international experience, he often succeeded in solving difficult or delicate issues.
His residence in Switzerland was opened both to the Orthodox hierarchs and to the students from various countries. He was also a man of peace and of dialogue with the representatives of Judaism and Islam.
As co-ordinator of the Secretariat for the Preparation of the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church, he visited all the Orthodox Churches and maintained spiritual relations with the people he met. In Chambésy, he could be seen in the church of the Greek parish, singing sometimes in the pew, giving the answers at the Divine Liturgy or at Vespers, and some other times visiting the Greek communities of Switzerland.
His visits to Romania, in the early ’90s, and then in 1998 and 1999, especially to Bucharest and Moldavia, brings him back to our memory especially as an erudite and communicative person, noble and kind, open minded and receptive, wise and generous, supporting lots of Orthodox students from various countries.
He cultivated with a sense of responsibility the many gifts he received from God, offering to some other people, with generosity, the joy of the communion in faith, the fruits of the talents multiplied for the glory of God and welfare of the Church.
Having known his ample activity and great dedication to the Church, the spiritual cultural legacy bequeathed to the people of today, we bring this pious homage of commemoration and respect to his memory as to a distinguished Orthodox hierarch, who spread around him light, friendship and hope and cultivated ecclesiastic communion through brotherly relations full of esteem and warmth with all the Orthodox Churches, who kept a vivid and steadfast love for his own Greek people, and, at the same time, becoming a good friend of other nations.
May he be always remembered from generation to generation!
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
