“The N.G.O. “Romiosini” as a vehicle of Reborning of Hellenism”

N.G.O. "Romiosini"
1st International Congress on "Romiosini through the centuries"
Amphitheatre of the War Museum of Athens
Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st of May 2009

Introducer: Mrs. Aikaterini Diamantopoulou, Theologist MA - Philologist PhD in Philosophy Deputy Manager of N.G.O. "Romiosini"

Subject: "The N.G.O."Romiosini" as a vehicle of Reborning of Hellenism"

His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Mr. Mr. Theophilos, Most Reverent, said Fathers, Mr. Kiriakidis, dear professors, distinguished invited, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The non governmental organization "Romiosini" has completed the 1st year of functioning. Its establishment constitutes the embodiment of the proposal of the Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Mr. Mr. Theophilos, in order to create a vehicle under the name "Romiosini". The Holy Congregation of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem has decided the founding of such Organization, the name of which was announced through Patriarchal letters.

A particular stress worths to be done to Mr. Kiriakidis, who accepted the official invitation on the part of the Beatitude to lead the whole subject in the name of Manager. He supports really, as a basic patron, the functioning and the works that takes into effect the N.G.O. "Romiosini".
It is a special honor and joy for me to serve the Organization of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem from the position of Deputy Manager of N.G.O. "Romiosini". Mr. Peter Kiriakidis referred to main goals of the N.G.O. "Romiosini". I shall present you analytically our purposes and the way such N.G. Organization can fulfill as a vehicle of reborning of Hellenism.

Our main goal is the enforcement of the Patriarchal Pilgrimages, the enforcement of the Holy Monasteries, Holy Churches, cultural monuments as well as the projection and looming up of every element of tradition, that governs our national ongoing. At the same time, the offering of technical supporting, in order to conserve our Holy Monasteries, in whatever they may need (as of irrigation - watering - plumbing systems, systems of fire - security e.t.c.). Even more, the designing studies, the publication/edition of books, reviews, the organization of our libraries, the running of a portal in the internet, in the address www.romiosini.org.gr, in which, among other things, it is projected in a world - wide originality, a three - dimension projection of the Holy Pilgrimages. Such portal constitutes a reference point, through which are made known all the activities of the N.G.O. "Romiosini".

On the other hand, our goal is also the supplying the Old mentioned Patriarchate of Jerusalem of a living material being able for the scientific research, ordering, digitizing, printing, discovering, maintaining, repiling or restoring of Jerusalemic wealth. Then, the taking over of researching programs, that support the deaconship of the Patriarchate, the organizing of presences, that enforce the work of the Patriarchate, the organizing of expressions for the promotion of the Holy Pilgrimages, our participation in national, international and world - wide activities, such as meetings, researches, piloting programmes etc.

Finally, the offering of scholarships, in order to strengthening the Patriarchal School of Sion, that constitutes the seedbed, that enforces with a living and potential material for the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood and from which is set off the each time Patriarch.

The supporting through scholarships for the Holy Tomb Monks and our assistance in the effort to correspond the Patriarchate of Jerusalem towards its obligations, with facts that assure the sanctity of the all - over region, constitutes a primordial target. In a parallel way, our proposal is to support our monastery dependencies by organizing holy visits to Holy Lands with a further goal the communication and the deeper knowledge of them.

In general, our scope is the multi-faceted enforcement of the cultural, social and philanthropic work of the Patriarchate.

As easily may one understand, the N.G.O. "Romiosini" is eager to embrace the whole Hellenism. And our Hellenism is a living, real, true and en endless situation. It is the Hellenic word. It is the humble situation. It is the fact that so many of the great heroes of our nation are included among our Saints. The N.G.O. "Romiosini" as truly achieves its high placed targets, serving the holy institution of the Patriarchate, should be able to offer even in a general way as an entity of rebirthing of the Hellenic - Orthodox civilization. The Orthodox Faith, the Orthodox acting, our love to our national Tradition and cultural inheritance are all those that inspire us and lead us. All these constitute for us a proof and deposited truth. And today the greatest demonstration of truth, that may offer to the actual world our Church, is, as I believe, the truth of the human personality that is embodied to the Hellenic Education.

The poet Sepheris compose in his own and unique manner the hymn to the Orthodoxy and Hellenism.

The truth is not finished to some things, but it really needs a personal feeling and living of the same in each and every one man.

Such a truth has a deep relation with the faith that leads us towards the liberty in Christ. It is the faith itself that elevates the soul of a human being to the kneels of the Advocate Commander-in-Chief, of Our Lady.

For this it is characteristically referred in his poem "Neophytos the Inpriced says":

"It was for us another very different matter, the battle for the faith in Christ and for the soul of man it is seated on the kneels of the Advocate higher officer, that had in her eyes, a mosaic, the grief of Hellenism, that sea of grief, when found the weighing of kindness".

The N.G.O. "Romiosini" expresses with facts its social interest, fulfilling the enclosing meaning of two great and most important commandment of the Bible: "You should love Our Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your thinking and love your neighboring man just like yourself".

"Romiosini" offers generously a medical - pharmaceutical assistance to all men, independently of race or religion, that have a need, who live in the dominion of the area of responsibility of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Our Lord in all our on land life of him, he just this did.

Independently of the faith gradation of each one of us he forgave and blessed the suffering man. We feel our dept to honor, but to continue also such a holy consignment.

Summing up, we repeat that "Romiosini" assists, so as to preserve in a pure way the Holy Pilgrimages, by means of which Orthodoxy is preached to all directions all over the Humanity, strengthening the Holy Tomb Brotherhood that fights to preserve the authenticity and tradition of the Divine Word. It comes "timely and untimely" in the Greek language, the Byzantine Art and music, in the speaking, in a few words, in everything that is referred to Greece, in the undying Hellenic soul. All theme compose the superb and excellent soul of the Greek, in that is hidden a treasury uncompared, whorthing to be guarded. We are very proud for our predecessors and such pride creates to us on extremely heavy obligation to continue being their followers.

Let us bring to our mind Homer, who although he was blind, he could find the power to show to the men, who had had physical eyes, the mysterious beauty of the world. Let us remember Aeschylus, Alexander the Great, Thucydides, Theodore Kolokotronis, Rigas Ferreos. All of them and many others more belong to the golden chain of the honored, but blood painted, Hellenism, Romiosini, where the glory stood, as well as the beauty, the joy and the hope of the world.

Into the Hellenic language have been written the Gospels, in Greek wrote his Epistles the Apostle Paul, in the Greek language have been chanted hymns by millions of Martyrs as well as our Saints. And jointly with our Christ has hand by hand traveled the Hellenic language and art up the end of the world.

Byzantium still lives inside our hearts although have been passed 556 years yesterday since the seizure of the Reigning city.

We could express our surprise to the philosopher Plythone, for whom have been written the following: "it is an imperishable and tremendous force, Greece, and without your spirit nothing can be done in the world. Everything is fertilized on you, and for just moment seems you are dying but suddenly you are present here again full of life and fresh, just when no-one could you were alive".

So, we conclude, repeating the size of the responsibility that loads upon us, in order to continue firm and strong our Holy Consignment. Just exactly that consignment constitutes our soul. But, on the other hand, how great is our obligation towards mainly the young persons that are so easily believers, who are almost always betrayed, as to remember the verses of our national poet Dionysios Solomos?

The preservation of such national inheritance could help our nation to be guarded from the windstorm that wants all of us to be sung.

It is an existing war on an ideological - spiritual level. And just this unseen war cannot be easily won. Having as our arms the immaculate Orthodoxian Faith, the correctness, the fighting ideal, the safeguarding of the value of our personality, and the consciousness of our National identity, so the battle can be won.

The deeply - thinking poet Cavafis, advices every aspiring traveler to bring always in mind the Ithaca Island.

And just because it was that gave him so a beautiful travel.

We have just begun this long and marvelous trip. Our hope and desire is that the N.G.O. "Romiosini" concludes to be a regeneration vehicle of Hellenism and finally develops a substantial work. I greet all of you with the known verses of our poet Giannis Ritsos "Do not cry for Hellenism (Romiosini), as each time it goes to bend, with a knife to the bone, with the strop to the neck, look at her, she flies from the start, is being manned and flares up".