In the context of his participation in the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Karlsruhe of Germany, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Nea Ionia and Philadelphia and vice-president of the D.E. of SYNYPARXIS, Mr. Gavriel, had the opportunity to present the work of the Church of Greece for refugees and immigrants at a related event.
In his presentation, His Eminence first referred to the current refugee situation in Greece, stressing that “the urgent need for sustainable solutions regarding the integration of immigrants and refugees into Greek society has not yet been addressed.”
The Church of Greece, acting by the virtue that every human being is created in the image of God, regardless of origin or religion, has developed, through SYNYPARXIS, a multifaceted project regarding the support of refugees with the aim of achieving peaceful coexistence in a mutually beneficial way for them and the host society.
As he pointed out, “Synyparxis” has long-term experience and expertise in providing legal and psychosocial services to refugees and immigrants, having served more than 11,000 refugees and asylum seekers with a special emphasis on vulnerable cases.
Since the end of 2019, the concern created by the increasing number of unaccompanied minor refugees in Greece and their dangerous living conditions, led the Church of Greece to the decision to expand its scope of action to child protection by entrusting SYNYPARXIS with the creation of relevant accommodation shelters.
His Eminence referred in detail to the services provided to minors, which cover a wide range of needs (housing, nutrition, health, education, legal and psychosocial support, skills development, preparation for smooth social integration).
Για την Εκκλησία της Ελλάδος, επεσήμανε, η αγάπη προς το Θεό επιβεβαιώνεται και εκφράζεται με τον καλύτερο τρόπο μέσω της αγάπης προς τον συνάνθρωπο και ιδιαίτερα τον «ξένο».
For the Church of Greece, as he pointed out, the love for God is confirmed and expressed in the best way through love for fellow human beings and especially the “stranger one”.
