ACT Professor Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriadis in a private audience with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican

"Continue your God pleasing work!"

With those words, a warm handshake, and a smile, His Holiness Pope Francis greeted in a private audience at the Vatican Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriadis, Professor of World Religions and President of the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies (CEMES). 

The committee of CEMES, honorary President, Emer. Prof. Petros Vassiliadis and Prof. Dimitrios Keramidas, along with Dr. Dimitriadis, handed over the volume titled "For the Unity of the One Church of Christ," as it had also been done with His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to mark the 30th anniversary of his election as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

"We discussed with His Holiness Pope Francis possible ways of cooperation between public authorities and faith-based leaders for creating awareness and finding ways to improve protection and security in places of worship, based on the Prosecuw- Protection and Security for Places of Worship project, and other essential issues that CEMES is working on at the moment like a post-war Ukrainian religious reconciliation, the revival of the order of female Deaconess in the Church, and climate ethics initiatives. Summing up the experience of visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Vatican, I humbly express my thoughts and hope: Let us continue striving TOGETHER for a more peaceful world. If we want to move forward, we should move together.."

Prof. Nikolaos Dimitriadis, President of CEMES

Photo credits: © Vatican Media