Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for Independence Day - July 4, 2018
As we commemorate Independence Day, we are gathered in Boston for our 44th
Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress. We are meeting in a city that has deep
historical connections to the struggle for independence, a place where
events supported the cause of liberty, and significant effort and sacrifice
secured freedom and the birth of a new nation.
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Archiepiscopal Encyclical 4th of July, Independence Day (07/04/2017)
Our annual commemoration of the 4th of July, Independence Day in the United
States of America, provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the
blessings of liberty and to express our gratitude to our forbearers for the
freedom that has been advanced and sustained throughout the history of this
country. We have and experience a multitude of social, political and
economic freedoms because many sacrificed courageously to protect the
highest ideals, others engaged in challenging debate and decisions over the
shape of governance and society, and countless more have cherished freedom
by respecting the rights and liberties of others.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2016)
As we observe the annual commemoration of Independence Day, hierarchs,
clergy and laity from throughout our Holy Archdiocese are gathered in
Nashville for our 43rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress. Certainly, we are
meeting to address the needs and opportunities in the life of our Church in
America. We are also gathered in the presence of God with a focus on a
specific theme that guides and challenges our work of ministry: “You are
the Voice of Christ in a Changing World.” On this day and in our
celebration of the freedom we have in this country, the voice of Christ
should be heard through us so that all may know the true depth and
spiritual power of the liberty we have in Him.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2015)
The annual celebration of Independence Day in this country is an
opportunity for all to reflect on the value of freedom, its role in the
history of the United States of America, and the opportunities it provides
for relationships, life, and well-being. The value and priority of freedom
is evident in the history of this country, both through the struggles to
achieve it for all persons as well as in the great accomplishments and
progress that have been made in terms of the freedom to think, speak, move,
invent, and succeed.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2014)
On this Independence Day we offer thanksgiving and praise to God for the
freedom we have as human beings created in His divine image and as citizens
of a nation that values, protects and promotes freedom as essential to
human life, well-being, and potential. As Orthodox Christians we know and
affirm that God is the source of our freedom because He is the absolutely
Free and the Creator of genuine freedom.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2013)
As we commemorate Independence Day and its significance for this nation,
for our American heritage, and for the quality of our lives, we must also
affirm and share the truth our Orthodox faith offers concerning freedom. In
our contemporary world, many people understand freedom in a very
individualistic way. For example, some emphasize freedom as an individual
right in terms of speech, movement, belief, or behavior. Others speak of
freedom from the arbitrary use of the power of government. Many affirm the
liberty to have or to pursue a wide range of economic and social
opportunities.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2012)
Our theme, “Chosen and Appointed by God to Go and Bear Fruit,” is directly
related to our divine calling as Orthodox Christians to carry the message
of the Gospel and to reveal the grace and power of God in our lives so that
beautiful and eternal spiritual fruit may be produced in the lives of
others.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2011)
On this annual celebration of freedom and the commemoration of the founding
of this nation, I greet you in the love of our Lord who offers to us
enduring liberty leading to a creative life on earth and ultimately eternal
life. Our liberty in Christ frees us from the bondage of sin and death
through the power of the Resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
As the Apostle Paul states in his Epistle to the Galatians, this liberty is
to be led by the Spirit and should not be an opportunity to do the works of
the flesh or fulfill selfish desires. Instead, this freedom should produce
and nurture the fruit of the Spirit, leading each person in love and acts
of service toward others (Galatians 5:22).
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2010)
On this annual observance of Independence Day, we give thanks to God for
the spiritual freedom we have in Christ and for the freedom we have in this
nation in which we live. As people of faith we are recipients of the grace
of God, which frees us from the bondage of sin and death and enables our
ascent to restoration and eternal communion with Him. As citizens and
residents in the United States of America, we are beneficiaries of a form
of government that recognizes both the political and social freedoms
inherent to each of us as human beings.
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Encyclical on the Fourth of July (07/04/2009)
The Fourth of July is a day when we join with people across this nation and
around the world in the celebration of an historic achievement that exalted
the necessity of human freedom and initiated a political and social
environment filled with opportunity and potential.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2008)
The annual observance of Independence Day is an instance for us to be
thankful for the peace, freedom and opportunities we have in this nation,
the United States of America. It is a day when we celebrate ideals that
have been realized for the benefit of humankind, when we remember what so
many have offered for the sake of liberty, and when we recommit ourselves
to the cause of freedom and to building a society that upholds all that is
good and just.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2007)
This day, July 4, is one that we share each year with millions of others
who live in the United States of America and who continue to celebrate the
preservation of independence and freedom. Throughout this land people will
participate in ceremonies, prayers, parades, and family gatherings that
will embody the life, liberty and happiness this nation has offered to so
many.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2006)
On July 4, 1776, the United States of America boldly and firmly declared
its Independence. In so doing, it articulated a cherished phrase in the
text of the Declaration of Independence, which is today enshrined in the
hearts of every student and admirer of American history and in the fabric
of our national conscience: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness."
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2005)
Our annual celebration of American Independence on the Fourth of July is an
opportunity for us to grow in our appreciation of the principles of
democracy, liberty, and freedom for all humankind. We celebrate these
principles as Greek Orthodox Christians who are blessed to call America our
home.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2004)
On this Day of Independence, I greet you in the spirit of love and joy
inspired by our gracious God, the giver of life and liberty. Our annual
celebration of July 4th as a national holiday commemorating the
independence and founding of the United States of America is an occasion to
affirm the necessity of freedom for promoting loving and lasting
relationships with others and with God.
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Encyclical on Independence Day (07/04/2003)
On July 4th, we gather as families and communities to celebrate the
independence of our nation. We affirm on this important day the values of
freedom and liberty that have characterized our national spirit for over
two centuries. As we celebrate this national holiday, we are granted the
occasion to consider that freedom and liberty are not only treasured
values, but are essential and universal conditions for cultivating loving
relationships with God and with others.
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Encyclical for Independence Day (07/04/2002)
On Independence Day we come together as families, as communities, and as a
nation to celebrate freedom and to honor the history of a country that has
offered people unprecedented opportunity for achievement and growth in all
areas of life. But as we gather on this day, we do so following the events
of September 11, a day of national and world tragedy on which we witnessed
the of thousands of people and a vicious attack on freedom.
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Encyclical on Independence Day (07/04/2001)
The annual celebration of July 4th as a national holiday commemorating the
independence and founding of the United States of America is an occasion
for affirming the necessity of freedom for the proper existence and
advancement of all aspects of civilization.
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Independence Day Message (07/04/2000)
The Fourth of July is a day for heartfelt celebration, not only for us
living in America, but also for the entire world. For in our observance of
American Independence Day, we commemorate far more than just the 226th
anniversary of a political declaration: rather, we honor the timeless ideal
of freedom that the founders of this nation cherished. Liberty or death!
was their watchword. They risked their homes, their possessions, their
families and their lives, not for wealth or fame or the fleeting pleasures
of this world, but for the enduring cause of freedom. Brave were their
words in pursuit of independence; braver still were their deeds.
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