Eastern Orthodox Church youth and young adults from around the world are to gather in Poland this year to experience what church authorities describe as “the unity and universality of the One Holy Church and to stimulate each other in the field of youth ministry.” They hope to bridge differences and find solutions to unify the religion that is comprised of so many autocephalous churches.
Wroclaw 2022: A World Gathering of Orthodox Youth, open to Orthodox youth aged 16 to 30, is to take place in the Polish city of Wrocław July 18 – 23. The event will be hosted by the Orthodox Church of Poland and the Fellowship of Orthodox Youth in Poland, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa, the archbishop of Warsaw and the head of the autocephalous (administratively independent) Church of Poland.
Inspired by the biblical exhortation “…go and bear fruit” (John 15:16), the event will feature speeches, workshops and a range of projects. It is organized by an international youth workers group coordinated by Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of the Stewards of the Orthodox Church in America. Priority will be given to those who have experience working in Orthodox youth missions.
Each day will begin with morning prayers and a homily based on scripture and will conclude with evening prayers. Youth are then invited to unwind at Café Syndesmos, to “share their culture and traditions during an international evening” featuring music, informal discussions on the day’s topics, films and fellowship.
Orthodox clerics will be on hand to listen to confessions, and the Divine Liturgy—the Orthodox Church’s main worship service—will take place twice during the event, once at the Nativity of the Mother of God Cathedral in Wrocław, and at the meeting place on the final evening of the program.
The importance of creating unity among the many branches of Orthodox believers in so many different countries and traditions is reflected by these words on the Wroclaw 2022 Facebook page: “What are we, the Orthodox, going to do to avoid our sickness, namely, our indifference to one another?” These are the words Greek theologian Nikos Nissiotis put to worldwide followers of the Orthodox faith in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II. “This question remains relevant more than 70 years later, begging the additional question—how are we going to do it?”
Immersed in the practice of their faith, stimulating discussions and engaging leaders, the Facebook forum said youth will be encouraged to “seek tangible ways to continue bearing fruit together as they search to provide an answer to Mr. Nissiotis’ question.”
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