We bring you our paternal blessing from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. As the 270th successor of the first called Apostle Andrew, we represent 300 million Orthodox Christians, as the elder brother amongst the independent Orthodox Churches. We are pleased to be in America, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America. The diocese of San Francisco is a dynamic part of our beloved Church in this country.

The city of San Francisco is noted for her great economic and technological accomplishments, her nurturing of the arts and her academic institutions. San Francisco is highly regarded for the harmonious relationships of her diverse people whose cultures and languages contribute to her multi-layered society. These many different traditions live together in this city under the aegis of freedom. This city is all the more remarkable, in that her progress has been accomplished in the comparatively short period of her one hundred and fifty-year history.

Beloved friends, we live in a constantly changing world, a world where change traverses the globe rapidly. Cultures are local and worldly in their diversity. This constant change affects the life of our church and the people within our communities. We feel that this kinetic diversity presents problems, as well as tremendous opportunities. Wars and displacements tyrannize people and nations. Sadly, a large portion of humanity lives in poverty and hunger. These hard pressed people, without a future, without hope, continue to swell in number and new dislocations appear all too frequently. Humanity’s face is desecrated by the contemporary attraction of our global culture’s “empty deceit.” Traditional religious communities reject their own religious traditions and for this reason, “the whole creation groans.” The ignorance of tradition, the abandonment of history, brings us to the heart of the problem of our age. How can we unify the face of humanity, how can we see ourselves in one another? To unify the image of the world, the face of humanity, it benefits us to bear witness of the faith we have in our Savior. For Orthodox Christians, He is the source of human redemption, the source of all our hopes. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ provides us with an example of a hope filled future. He guides all those who follow Him and provides the good will for us to remain faithful to Him and to all persons. In unity with Christ, we may say to one another, “He who is in you is greater that he who is in the world.”

We who live in the hope of Christ’s return, do good works that we may offer hope for tomorrow. We work for the peace “that passes all understanding,” that we might demonstrate through good works and words, that we are worthy of our humanity. We proclaim that love is the foundation of humanity’s community. In this way, we recognize within every human being, the object of a union that makes us one in Christ. It is the vision of the image of God within each human being that we strive to find within one another. In this way, we reject the blind and faceless visage of corrupt functionaries and ideological systems.

We therefore raise our cup to you, to your health and to the forbearance you show for all the people of your city. We pray with all our heart that the God of love and the Holy Spirit will guide everyone toward union and common cause for the good of humankind. We pray that God will bless this city and this nation and all who live here.

May the Triune God grant His peace and enlightenment to all. Amen.