http://www.orthodox.or.kr/ortboard/read ... =10&nnew=2
New Orthodox Metropolis Established in Korea
The elevation of the Exarchate of Korea to a new Metropolis is
both a culmination and a new beginning of the history of
Orthodoxy in Korea. Korea has a 104 year old Orthodox history
full of difficulties and sacrifice yet simultaneously displays the
tremendous effort made by the Korean Orthodox clergy and
faithful and Russian and Greek Missionaries throughout those
years. They serve as shining examples of patience and
perseverance, who, through the love of God are now duly and
richly rewarded by this historic event.
Bishop Soterios Trambas, who served the Korean Orthodox
people for 18 years as priest then as Bishop (altogether nearly
30 years), was enthroned amidst solemn and joyful
celebrations as the first Metropolitan of the newly established
Metropolis of Korea on June 20th 2004 in St. Nicholas’s
Cathedral in Seoul. Visitors came from all over the globe to
share in the blessed happiness of the occasion, to participate
in the celebration of the establishment of the new Metropolis
as well as to congratulate Metropolitan Soterios and celebrate
alongside the Korean people this truly landmark event.
In 2003, after a petition directed to the Ecumenical Patriarch
was launched by the entire Korean Orthodox Clergy and all
Parish councils it was decided by the Holy and Sacred Synod,
presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew. that
the Exarchate of Korea would be elevated to become
a Metropolis. Previous to this, the Exarchate of Korea was
under the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of New Zealand, from
1970 to 2003 Metropolitan Dionysios shepherded his far flung
flock in the ‘Land of the Morning Calm’ in a close and fruitful
collaboration from 1975 onwards with Auxiliary Bishop
Soterios. Metropolitan Dionysios (now Metropolitan of
Proussa) was present to co-celebrate the Divine Liturgy and
participate at the Enthronement Ceremony together with the
Archbishop of America Demetrios, the Metropolitans: of
Acheloou Efthymios, of Hydra, Spetses & Aegina Efraim and of
Nea Smyrna Simeon and of course all the Korean Clergy.
A particularly moving moment was witnessed by the plethora
of people that filled the Cathedral to overflowing when
H.E.Dionysios offered his Cross and Engolpion to Metropolitan
Soterios saying “I wore these for 33 years as Exarch of Korea
and I now present them to my deserving successor,
Metropolitan Soterios.”
The official handing over of the Pastoral Staff was enacted by
the Archbishop of America Demetrios as representative
member of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate who
accompanied this solemn and historic moment saying “To the
Glory of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and in the name of
his All Holiness Bartholemew the Ecumenical Patriarch and as
representative of the Holy and Sacred Synod I entrust you with
this Pastoral Staff as a symbol of your spiritual vocation and
responsibility to the prelatic ministration that has been charged
to you by our Lord as Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of
Korea. May God help you in all and always…” Archbishop
Demetrios further expressed congratulations, warm hearted
appreciation of Met. Soterios’ many years of devotion and toil,
and then outlined the ongoing challenges that lay ahead for the
new Metropolis as a whole. Amongst these he pinpointed
“…the need for the creation of a truly complete and beautiful
Korean Orthodox theological language as well as the further
and difficult challenge of the slow becoming of an Orthodoxy
that is intrinsically Korean..”.
A speech was also given by Protopresbyter Fr. Daniel Na on
behalf of all the Korean Clergy and the Korean Orthodox
people. He expressed the deep love and respect that the
Korean faithful have for their Metropolitan, for his untiring work
and beyond- bounds sacrifice of the last 30 years to “…take
care of the spiritual and educational cultivation of the Korean
faithful in the past difficult years…” He continued by saying
that “…We have the great honour and blessing of being
witness to the work-praised by all- that you have
accomplished for the people of the ‘Land of the Morning
Calm…” The Korean Clergy and the Orthodox faithful travelled
from all over Korea to bear witness to this important moment in
the history of their Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Soterios gave the final speech before festivities
began. He called upon the Korean Orthodox faithful to meet
the many challenges ahead as a unified and strengthened
whole. “Your Metropolitan, in his capacity as spiritual father,
opens and offers his heart to you and bequeaths all of his
strength so that, all together, as one body, we can meet the
expectations entrusted to us in this very historic moment of
our Church. Let the result of our missionary church being
elevated to a Metropolitanate be for us a new strength, a new
beginning for each one of us and all together let us take on our
responsibilities so that we may meet the expectations of our
Ecumenical Patriarchate that has entrusted us with this mission
at the calling of God…” Metropolitan Soterios gave to all
present a small silver cross bearing his signature.
Also present at the Divine Liturgy and ceremony were the
Ambassador of Greece Mr. Drakakis, the Representative of
the Roman Catholic Nuncio of Korea, the Ambassador of
Belaruus Mr. Senesko, the Greek Military Attache to Peking,
Archim. Konstantinos Tsilis represented Metropolitan Nikitas
of Hong Kong and South East Asia, Korean officials, Greek
shipowners that construct their ships in Korean shipyards and
employees of the shipping companies.
Official telegrams of congratulations, gifts and letters were
received from: The Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, the
Archbishop of Vladivostok, the Archbishop of Tokyo and
Metropolitan of All Japan as well as from many Archbishops
and Metropolitans over the world, the President of the
Orthodox Mission Centre of America (OCMC) Mr Cliff T. Argue,
the Association of the Korean War Veterans of Greece,
the Korean Minister of Culture and Tourism, Cardinal Stefan
Soo Whan Kim, the Roman Catholic Archbishopric of Seoul, the
Anglican Archbishop of Seoul, the President of the Korean
Commission for Religion and Peace Mr. Do Uoong Paek, the
Vatican Representative Secretary, the President of the
Commission of the Orthodox Church in North Korea
Mr. George Il Tsin Ho and many others.
A few days previous to the official ceremony a press
conference had been held at the Mission Centre in Seoul to an
nounce the establishment of the Metropolis. Present were
members of the Korean press as well as the President of the
Roman Catholic Synod of Seoul Mr. Chang Moo Choi,
representatives of the Korean Commission for Religion and
Peace (KCRP) and the Korean National Council of Churches
(KNCC). The next day the news was reported in the two
largest circulating newspapers of Korea alongside
a photograph of Metropolitan Soterios.
The celebrations continued with a reception laden with
traditional Korean dishes that the Korean Faithful had prepared
especially for the occasion – the celebration of the
establishment of the Metropolis of Korea.
This is wonderful news. Too bad it is not under the Russian Church as it belongs.
The lowly Mykael