The opening of the conference took place in the presence of the president of the Hellenic Republic Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, representatives of the Greek government, and other official guests while His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered the keynote address on the topic: “The mission and work of the Orthodox Church and Theology in the 21st century.” The conference was attended by more than 150 speakers from all over the world, including prominent figures in theology, science, and art. The main sessions covered a wide variety of topics on theological reflection, including the relationship of theology with contemporary challenges, while many parallel thematic workshops with diverse topics were held. In his keynote address, Patriarch Bartholomew stated that “as we declared from this platform exactly three years ago, on November 23, 2021, the DNA of theology includes ‘relevance,’ as the ability and opportunity to articulate its message in a timely manner. Relevance neither cancels the timeless nature of theological discourse nor implies conformity with the world and other alienating identifications. As our spiritual father, the late Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon, said: ‘Truth is not betrayed when it is incarnated in every historical era. It is betrayed when it is preserved, as if in a museum, out of fear of being contaminated by history.’” He emphasized that “what is sought, therefore, is the correct way of being relevant. Ecclesiastical theology cannot ignore the experiences of the Church’s members. Contemporary Christians do not live in the time of Christ, the Byzantine Empire, or the ‘age of the Antichrist,’ but in a specific historical moment, within different cultural contexts, facing tangible problems, contradictions, and opportunities of our era. It is to these people that the Church and its theology must address themselves in order to transform this world.” Patriarch Bartholomew noted that “in our time, the Church and its theology undoubtedly face new conditions and significant challenges. The encounter with the modern world must, however, unfold in fidelity to the ‘not of this world’ nature of the Church, combined with awareness and keen sensitivity to new historical realities. A fundamental principle of theology is that it must not be defensive, as if all current developments were opposed to Orthodoxy. Furthermore, theology must be timely, in line with the concept of ‘kairos’ (opportune time), for the present is not merely a chronological concept but signifies a unique and singular opportunity—the ‘kairos.’ ” He underscored that “it is certain that, despite the ‘wonders’ of science, the existential contradictions of humanity and the dilemmas of freedom will persist. Humanity will continue to seek the meaning of life and to listen for the voice of heaven. Religious faith will emerge as a ‘great power,’ representing the ‘dimension of depth’ of things and the perspective of eternity.” | 
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