The 3rd Bioethics Conference of the Ecumenical Patriarchate opened on Friday, 24 October 2025, in Rethymno, Crete, under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
Serving as both the representative of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and President of the Synodal Committee on Bioethics, Archbishop Makarios guided the proceedings of the three-day conference, which examined the deeply complex and sensitive theme of “euthanasia.”
Opening the event, Archbishop Makarios read the Patriarch’s message, which reaffirmed the Church’s compassion for those who suffer yet condemned euthanasia as a “destructive choice” that threatens human salvation.
He then delivered a thought-provoking keynote address that drew on Homer’s Odyssey to explore the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of human pain, endurance, and hope. His allegorical reflection, weaving together classical literature and Orthodox theology, set the tone for a conference that aims to balance compassion with moral clarity.
The gathering brought together prominent hierarchs, scholars, and medical experts from Greece, Australia, and beyond, including Archbishop Eugenios of Crete, Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Canberra, and professors from the Universities of Athens, Thessaloniki, and Crete.
Over days of discussion, participants delved into theological, ethical, and medical perspectives on end-of-life care, reflecting the Orthodox Church’s call for a humane and faith-centred approach to bioethical dilemmas.
The conference concluded on Sunday, 26 October, at the Holy Monastery of the Holy Cross Vosakou, where Archbishop Makarios presided over the Divine Liturgy and presented the final conclusions.
