Homily at the 2025 Synodal Concelebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy

Bishop of Kallinikos of Talantion

Cathedral of Saint Athanasios, Nea Filadelfeia

February 24 / March 9, 2025

 

Your Beatitude, Archbishop of Athens and Primate of our Church, Kallinikos,

Most Reverend Hierarchs,

Honorable Presbyterate,

Venerable Diaconate,

Pious and festal-loving Christians,

Today we solemnly celebrate the Restoration of the Holy Icons and the Triumph of Orthodoxy over all heresies. The Seventh Ecumenical Council decreed that the holy icons should be venerated, and subsequently, the Council of Constantinople in 843 A.D. ratified this decision.

This great victory over the heresy of Iconoclasm was solemnly celebrated for the first time twenty-five years after the restoration of the icons, on Holy Saturday, March 19, 867. On that day, the unveiling of a masterpiece mosaic icon of the Theotokos took place in the magnificent church of the Wisdom of God, which has been preserved to this day. Unfortunately, Iconoclasm had stripped the churches of their adornment and holy icons, and the mosaics and icons had to be recreated from the beginning.

Later, the celebration was moved to the first Sunday of the Fast, the First Sunday of the Holy and Great Lent, that is, to today's feast, the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Through this, the Holy Fathers show us that the prerequisite for the entire spiritual and sanctifying journey of the faithful within the arena of virtues and the struggle against the passions is the right and true faith, the Revealed Truth.

Our Church, through the decisions and the Decree of the Holy Seventh Ecumenical Council, demonstrated that indeed "the honor given to the icon ascends to the prototype," as Saint Basil the Great characteristically states. However, to view the entire history concerning the Icons comprehensively, we shall turn to Ecclesiastical History.

From the earliest Christian years, the faithful began engraving in the catacombs and in oratories, as well as creating various early Christian symbols, such as the sign of the Precious Cross, the fish, the dove, the anchor, and others. Subsequently, after the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. and the definitive triumph of the Christian faith, the faithful of our Church began depicting the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos, and the first Christian martyrs. Thus, gradually, the depiction of icons on the walls of the first churches prevailed after the 4th century A.D., along with the use of portable encaustic icons.

However, the various heresies, which sought to become co-thrones with the One and Only Truth, began to afflict the Body of Christ. After the cessation of the persecutions of the first three centuries and the disturbances in the Church caused by the great heresies—from Arianism to Monoenergism and Monothelitism—persecutions against the True Church of Christ resumed at the hands of the iconoclastic authorities.

Saint John Chrysostom characteristically states: "How many have fought against the Church, and those who fought against her have perished? Yet she has ascended beyond the heavens. Such is the greatness of the Church: being warred against, she prevails; being plotted against, she overcomes; being insulted, she becomes more glorious; receiving wounds, she does not fall under them; she is buffeted by waves, but she is not submerged; she is storm-tossed, but she does not suffer shipwreck; she struggles, but she is not defeated; she is struck, but she is not overcome. Why then did He permit the war? That He might make the victory shine more gloriously." (Homily on Eutropius, EPE 33, 110).

In total, there were approximately 90 years of persecutions during both phases of Iconoclasm, during which the iconoclasts afflicted the Body of the Church for about sixty years in the First Period of Iconoclasm (726–787 A.D.) and for about thirty years in its Second Period (814–843 A.D.).

The temporary cessation of the iconoclastic disputes took place with the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 A.D., during the reign of Emperor Constantine VI and his mother, Irene of Athens, while their definitive cessation occurred in 842 A.D. with the Council of Constantinople under Empress Theodora and her minor son, Michael III.

Saint Theodora Augusta, who spent the last years of her life as a nun and whose incorrupt relic is treasured in Corfu, was the wife of the last iconoclast emperor, Theophilos. Saint Theodora restored Orthodoxy in the Roman Empire; thanks to her, Orthodox hierarchs were reinstated to their episcopal thrones, icons were restored in the churches, the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council were reaffirmed, and the iconoclasts were anathematized.

During the nearly 100 years that the period of Iconoclasm lasted, the Church struggled to preserve this Truth through the depiction of the sacred form of the Incarnate Son and Word of God and through the honor and veneration of the iconographic representations of the Saints who pleased the Triune God.

The Synodikon of today's feast anathematizes all those who do not venerate the image of the Lord, stating characteristically: "If anyone does not venerate our Lord Jesus Christ depicted in an icon according to His humanity, let him be anathema." For by venerating the icon of Christ, we confess the miracle of the Divine Incarnation, the true Embodiment of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The divine intervention of the Orthodox during the period of Iconoclasm sought to preserve the honor of the holy Icons. One hundred years were completed last year since the schism and the calendar innovation in our homeland—one hundred years of division and discord. Likewise, 101 years ago, the small flock, the uninnovated faithful, struggled to preserve the faith rightly and intact according to the Decree and decisions of the Holy First Ecumenical Council, which, notably, this year marks 1,700 years since its convocation.

One of the absolute and indisputable criteria for unity in the Church is right faith, which, of course, is accompanied by correct and virtuous works. This right faith is established by the genuine apostolic teaching and tradition, which is transmitted through apostolic succession to this day within the guardian of Truth, which is the Orthodox Church. This sound and true doctrine presupposes great struggles for the confession of faith, the practice of virtues, the mystical experience of divine love, selfless love, and offering to one’s neighbor, and it possesses an eschatological dimension in the Heavenly Kingdom of the Triune God. All these are founded upon the Revealed and One Truth.

For this Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth and was Incarnate; for this Truth, He was led to the Cross and the Resurrection. This Truth was foretold by the Prophets of the Old Testament. For this Truth, all the Martyrs of Christ throughout the ages bore witness, from the early Christian martyrs to the Martyrs of more recent times. For this Truth, the Theologian Fathers struggled in the Ecumenical and Local Councils. For this Truth, we too are called today to bear witness and to be the Light of Christ in this present age of apostasy and discord. And with this Truth, all Orthodox Christians shall live eternally in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today, all the Champions of Orthodoxy rejoice—pious Kings, Most Holy Patriarchs and Hierarchs, Teachers, Martyrs, Monks, and Confessors: the Holy Patriarchs Germanos, Tarasios, and Methodios, Venerable Theodore the Studite, and the Venerable Martyr Stephen the Confessor!

And together with them, the modern Confessors of the Truth also rejoice—the choir of our newly revealed Saints: Saint Chrysostomos the New Confessor, Venerable Ieronymos of Aegina, Saint New Martyr Catherine of Mandra, Saint New Martyr Joseph of Desfina, Venerable John of Amfiali, the New Merciful, Venerable Ieronymos of Parnitha, as well as Saint John, Archbishop of Shanghai, Maximovitch, Saint Philaret, Archbishop of New York, the Confessor, and Saint Glicherie, Archbishop of Romania.

Today, the resounding Assembly of the Orthodox solemnly celebrates the Restoration and Honorable Veneration of the Icons!

But Thou, O Personal Son and Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, consubstantial with the Unoriginate Father and the co-enthroned Holy Spirit, and depicted in Icons, look down from Heaven and see, and visit Thy Vineyard, Thy Church, and establish her, whom Thine own Right Hand hath planted! Strengthen her in Unity, in Love, and in Truth!

Many years to us! A blessed remainder of the Holy and Great Lent!

 

Greek source: https://iaathgoc.gr/index.php/blog/nea/1355-omilia-talantiou-kiriaki-orthodoxias-2025