HONOURING VISSARION
MICHALIS CHARALABIDIS
(Extract from the speech at the event on "Pontian Humanism and Jews" organized by the Attica's Sourmena Pontian Union)
(Extract from the speech at the event on "Pontian Humanism and Jews" organized by the Attica's Sourmena Pontian Union)
HONOURING
VISSARION
IF I WERE A DEPUTY OF THE
ISRAELI PARLIAMENT I WOULD SUGGEST THE RECOGNITION OF THE PONTIAN
GENOCIDE
Vissarion from Trapezounta
was unjust by both Catholics and Orthodox. Nonetheless, he is much more
unrecognised in the political and intellectual Greece and
Europe. Despite all aphorisms he returns as
a political value-apropos. It is not a
coincidence that my introduction in a book of
mine* for growth and development referred to his actuality.
He defended the
Israelites in Nuremberg for first time
and in Venice three years later (1463), in
conditions of political, ethnic andregional
conflicts, major religious fanaticism and intense anti-Semitism. A
class of German conflicting groups
in Nuremberg against him was that he
was blessing with his left hand. The
other that defended the Jews of the
city. Vissarion is the father of Europeanhumanism. Being a
priest, in conditions of barbarism, he defended religious
tolerance.
I am sure that
the Israeli communities of Europe
and Mediterranean were informed, knew that there
was in Europe a spiritualpersonality from Trapezounta that
was defending them. They did not have telephones,
televisions, internet but had othercommunication networks. Vissarion was
the first to defend the Jews.
For this reason alone, if I were a
Debuty of the Israeli Parliament, of Knesset, I would
suggest the recognition of the genocide of the Pontian
Greeks as an expression of honour, gratitude to this
great humanitarian personality whose compatriots began
to know anideology of death which invaded, settled in
Pontos the same period. I would request to cover
a large historical, moral and political vacuum.
What was Sophia and Yiannis Grigoriades who saved centuries later in Veroia, the little Jewish girl, Sterina Taboh which was threatened by another ideology of death. They were the successors of Vissarion's humanism. Continuing a long humanitarianinheritance, the focus of which was Pontos, Asia Minor, Hellas as Cicero and the Cappadocian Fathers were saying.
What was Sophia and Yiannis Grigoriades who saved centuries later in Veroia, the little Jewish girl, Sterina Taboh which was threatened by another ideology of death. They were the successors of Vissarion's humanism. Continuing a long humanitarianinheritance, the focus of which was Pontos, Asia Minor, Hellas as Cicero and the Cappadocian Fathers were saying.
* Hellenic quality and development -
The new alliance, Michalis Charalabidis, Athens, 2007 - Press here for more information.
Full text available in English in
"The Pontian Question in the United Nations", 2nd edition,
2009, Michalis Charalabidis, International League For The Rights and
Liberations Of Peoples, Stravon Publications - "The actuality of
Vissarion"
