A vibrant and in-depth discussion examining the issues surrounding the relationship between Church and State took place on Thursday, 4 December 2025, in the Great Hall of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Symposium, titled ‘Can the Church’s Life “in Christ” Converse with Life in the Public Sphere?’, brought together religious leaders, academics, and prominent political figures, reaffirming the University of Athens’ role as a fertile forum for public discourse and the advancement of contemporary theological thought.
Opening remarks were delivered by Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
The addresses that followed came from:
−His Eminence Theodoretos, Metropolitan of Laodicea and Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens
−His Eminence Gabriel, Metropolitan of Nea Ionia, Philadelphia, Heraklion, and Chalcedon, representing His Beatitude Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece
−The Very Reverend John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne and co-editor of ‘For the Life of the World’
−Ms Maria Kokkinou, Managing Director of Akritas Publications
Symposium participants included:
−Ms Domna Michailidou, Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs of Greece
−Mr Evangelos Venizelos, former Vice-President of the Government and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece
−Ms Anna Diamantopoulou, former Minister of Education, Lifelong Learning, and Religious Affairs of Greece and former European Union Commissioner
− His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
The round-table discussion was chaired by Stavros Giagkazoglou, Associate Professor at the Department of Theology, School of Theology, University of Athens
The Symposium concluded with a shared awareness that life in Christ is far more than a private spiritual reality; it reaches outward, actively engaging with the pressing social and political challenges of our world today. Despite the diversity of perspectives among the speakers, the discussion powerfully underscored the urgent need to forge stable channels of communication between institutions, always keeping the human person at the very heart of their mission.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, through its organization of the event, once again reaffirmed its leading role in fostering an institutional, open, and academically grounded public dialogue on matters concerning society, culture, and spirituality.
Photos: Dimitris Konstantinidis
