The 3rd International Conference on Religious Diplomacy was held online on 11, 12 and 13 January 2022, on “The International Dimension of Mount Athos. Cradle of Culture and Spirituality”.
The conference was organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs, the General Secretariat of Hellenes Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Church and Culture Laboratory). The conference was supported by the magazine Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition and Aegeas AMKE.
The conference was open and free and can be watched by anyone on the following links:
For the First day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7K8U179kiI
For the second day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x2HSstBExE&t=14436s
For the third day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ3GgX3ILaw&t=7687s
The program was as follows:
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
TIME 15:00 : Conference Launch – Greetings.
– Salutation from the Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew A’.
-Initial Remarks: Blessed Archbishop of Athens, Ieronymos II.
-Initial Remarks: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andreas Katsaniotis.
-Greeting of the First Caretaker of Mount Athos, Georgios Vatopedinos.
– Initial Remarks: Professor Athanassios Dimopoulos, Rector of NKUA.
– Opening of the Conference: Loukas Katsonis, Foreign Affairs Institute, chairman˙
TOPICS
TIME 16:00-17:00
The Global Radiance of Mount Athos [Moderator: Elizabeth Prodromou, Professor, Tufts University]
- Georgios Koumoutsakos, Member of the Greek Parliament, former Minister.
- Geoffry R. Pyatt, U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
- Athanasios Martinos, Commander of Mount Athos.
TIME 17:00-18:00
Mount Athos and Europe [Moderator: Elizabeth Prodromou, Professor, Tufts University]
- Abbot Elisheos, Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra.
- Dr. Theodoros Theodorou, Ambassador hon,.
TIME 18:00-19:00
The spiritual radiance of Mount Athos [Moderator: Ioanna Stoufi, Professor NKUA, Dean of Department of Theology]
- Symeon Paschalidis, Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
- Christos Arabatzis, Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
- Constantinos Christou, Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
TIME 19:00-20:00
Mount Athos and the Slavic world [Moderator: Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, Professor, NKUA]
- Georgios – Nectareous Lois,Professor, Singidunum University, Belgrade.
- Ventzislav Karavaltchev, Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Theological School of Sofia: “Mount Athos and Bulgaria”.
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
TIME 14:00-15:00
The Identity of Mount Athos [Moderator: Athanasios Houpis, journalist]
- Pablo Argárate, Professor Universität Graz.
- Archimandrite Aristarhos (Vasilios) Grekas, Assistant Professor, NKUA.
- Georgios Stavropoulos – Giouspasoglou, Assistant Professor, NKUA. “Apathy yesterday and today: a timeless virtue in the ascetic spirituality of Mount Athos”
- Antoni Mironowicz,Professor Universytet w Bialymstoku:«Mount Athos in Poland».
TIME 15:00-16:00
The international image of Mount Athos. [Moderator: Stylianos Papathanasopoulos, Professor NKUA].
- Vasilis Fevgas, Secretary of Strategic Planning & Communication, New Democracy party.
- Theodoros Roussopoulos, Member of the Greek Parliament – Assistant Professor, European University of Cyprus.
- Father Theofilos, Holy Monastery of Pantokratoros.
TIME 16:00-17:00
Aspects of the international status of Mount Athos – A’. [Moderator: Dr. Theodoros Theodorou, Ambassador hon.]
- Sergii Shutenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic.
- Antonios Klapsis, Assistant Professor University of Peloponnese
TIME 17:00-18:00
Aspects of the international status of Mount Athos – B’. [Moderator: Fotis Karidas, journalist]
- Angelos Syrigos, Deputy Minister of Education and Religions – Associate Professor of Panteion
- Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, Associate Professor NKUA: «The International Treaties and the integration of Mount Athos in the Greek State»
- Antonis Klapsis, Assistant Professor University of Peloponnese.
TIME 18:00-19:00
At the service of Mount Athos [Moderator: Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, Associate Professor NKUA]
- Elias Pertzinidis, Director of the Mount Athos Heritage Preservation Center (Κε.Δ.Α.Κ.)
- Anastasios Douros, Director of “Agioreitiki Estia”.
- Nikos Gouraros, “Agios Maximos the Greek, Research Institute for the Rescue and Promotion of Spiritual and Cultural Traditions. “
- Georgios Karagiannis, PhD, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Scientific collaborator of the “ORMILIA” Foundation.
TIME 19:00-20:00
The administrative regime of Mount Athos [Moderator: Zacharias Georgousis, journalist]
- Dimitrios Nikolakakis, Associate Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
- Nikos Maggioros, Associate Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, President of the Department of Theology.
Thursday, January 13, 2022
ΩΡΑ 14:00-15:00
Mount Athos and the society [Moderator: Thomas Ioannidis, Professor NKUA]
- Abbot Ephrem, Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi.
- Konstantinos Mygdalis, Δρ. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Adviser to the Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy.
- Konstantinos Zorbas, PhD, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete.
- Konstantinos Dimtsas, president and CEO of “Apostoli”
TIME 15:00-16:00
Policies for Mount Athos [Moderator: Stephanos Mtytilineos, journalist]
- Alexandros Thanos, Head of Tourism Department, Governorate of Central Macedonia.
- Georgios Kalantzis, PhD. University of Crete, Secretary General of Religions.
- Michael Tritos, Emeritus Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
- Ioannis Amanatidis, Member of the Greek Parliament, former Deputy Minister.
TIME 16:00-17:00
Women and Mount Athos. [Moderator: Marilena Gerantoni, Journalist].
- Marina Kolovopoulou, Associate Professor NKUAs.
- Anna – Michelle Asimakopoulou, member of the European Parliament.
- Ioanna Komninou, Assistant Professor NKUA.
- Nun Synglitiki, Holly Monastery Makellarias Kalavryton
TIME 17:00-18:00
Mount Athos as a model of ecological awareness [Moderator: Fotis Karidas, journalist]
- Efthimios Lekkas, Professor NKUA.
- f. Antonios Bafaloukos, post doctoral NKUA.
- Andreas Papastamou, Associate Professor Panteion University.
TIME 18:00-19:00
Mount Athos and Christendom [Moderator: Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, Associate Professor NKUA]
- Vaslilios Koukousas, Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – President of the Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice: « Mount Athos and Orthodoxy in the USA ».
- Christos Karagiannis, Associate Professor – Dean of the Theological School of NKUA: «Mount Athos and the Holy Land».
- Ion Croitoru, Professor Universitatea Valahia, Târgovişte: « Mount Athos in Romania ».
- Gevorg Kazaryan, PhD. NKUA: «Mount Athos and Armenia».
TIME 19:00-20:00
The future of the Athonite state [Moderator: Dr, Theodoros Theodorou, Ambassador hon.]
- Ioannis Chrisoulakis, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Eleftherios Economou, Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection.
- His Eminence Theoklitos, Metropolitan of Ierissos and the Holy Mountain.
- Elizabeth Prodromou, Professor, Tufts University
- His Eminence Maximos, Metropolitan of Syllibria.
CONCLUSION OF CONFERENCE: 21:10