Athenagoras I

“We found ourselves brothers. We discovered that what unites us is much more than what divides us.”

“Let us go down into the catacombs, into the arena, to be devoured by the lions, rather than see the torch of Orthodoxy extinguished.”

“For centuries, we have been captives of ourselves. For centuries, the eyes of Christians have been turned to the past. Let us turn them, at last, toward the future. It is not the past that should unite us, but the future.”

“I have come to this holy place as a pilgrim. I have come to venerate the holy places, where our Lord Jesus Christ was born, lived, taught his gospel of love, was crucified, and rose again for the salvation of the world. I have come to meet my brothers.”

“Let us be one, let us be first a living example of a family of love.”

“Theology without love is satanic.”