Can our tradition be modernized?
The Holy Metropolis of Corfu, Paxoi and Diapontian Islands in cooperation with the Union of Christian Scientists of the Municipal of Corfu, in the context of “Open University” organized on Thursday afternoon, September 6, 2018 at the Spiritual Centre, an event with the following subject: “Can our tradition be modernized?” Main speaker of this event was the professor of Philosophy, theologian, author and spiritual man, Mr. Christos Giannaras. In the event participated his Eminence, the Bishop of Corfu, Paxoi and Diapontian Islands, Mr. Nektarios and Dodonis, Mr. Chrisostomos.
In his brief greeting, Mr. Nektarios stressed the importance of the tradition, especially of our country, with its rich spiritual and cultural heritage. Today, with much regret, we see the tradition of this place being fought by domestic and foreign centers, for the sake of globalization and modernization. Our people have lost their spiritual orientation and are driven out of their roots. The element that kept the Greek Nation standing for four centuries of Ottoman Occupation was the Orthodox faith and tradition. And the current crisis will be overcome it if we keep our tradition alive, emphasized his Eminence.
Mr. Giannaras began his speech by giving the definition of tradition. Tradition is not an ideology, but the accumulated experience of centuries, which produced culture and was the counter-offer to the West. The tradition of this place has as its main characteristic the “social”. On the other hand, the suggestion of the western world promotes individuality, as well as usurpation.
Having the person in focus, Hesperia constantly talks about human rights, stirring them in the field of behavior and in the field of existence where there is no sense of right. Modernization, on the other hand, is understood in Greece as a mimetism of Western standards, totally foreign to the experience of this place. One of the reasons for this behavior is the lack of education, on the one hand, with the massacre of the Greek language, as was the case with the monotonous system, and on the other with the historical revisionism, that there was no secret school.
All these coordinated attacks on language and history have led to the current erosion and the complete collapse of everything.
In conclusion, Mr. Giannaras said that the solution to overcome this multifaceted crisis is to preserve, like our ancestors, this accumulated experience of centuries we have. To re-establish the spirit of the community, the way of association, to personally awaken, to seek the relations of society, to preach faith in Christ as meaning and hope and to see the Church as a celebration. All this requires a Church in which ancient Greek will be retaught, a democracy that will become a quality feat, a consciousness that we exist to love and to fight for the common good.
As Dionysis Savvopoulos has pointed out, tradition is not delivered to us by previous generations, but we surrender to her.
Last but not least, the chairman of the Union of Christian Scientists of the Prefecture of Corfu, Irene Malaha, addressed the event.
