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"Respecting the freedom of others in spreading the Christian testimony according to Saint Paisios" - by Dr. Achilleus Papatolioutranslated

July 12, 2026 · 1 min read

Freedom is the basic virtue of the Orthodox mission, the most necessary condition, freedom in everything and freedom after everything for the propagation of the Christian witness as a calling and mission, as crucifixion and ministry. The Church is a center to which everyone is called, respecting the principle of their free will. The Church must respect the freedom of both its members and those to whom it preaches the Gospel of Salvation. The aim of the Christian witness is to form ecclesiastical societies not as "states of God", but as states of free persons.

Christ's saying "if he will come after me", fully confirms the respect for the religious freedom of every human being, which is a sacred, human, essential, non-negotiable and universal right, which has been explicitly recognized in the international jurisprudence. The Church calls people to freedom. Christian testimony is a work of humility with respect for human dignity, it is an emptying offering of love.

Love means respecting the freedom of another. Saint Paisios the Saint to a pilgrim's question about whether he should...

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💬 Comments (13) 🌐 Show original

Десислава Илиева

I particularly liked this - how Christ says "if any man will come after me." He does not force, but waits for the person to decide for himself. And St. Paisius apparently lived just like that, with respect for the freedom of others. Thanks for the article, I will read it all the way through.

Katherine Johnson

That line from Christ, “if anyone wants to come after me,” really stood out to me too. It’s not a command, just an open door, and St. Paisios seems to have lived that exact respect for the other person’s freedom. Makes the whole idea of mission feel less like pressure and more like quiet love. Thanks for sharing the article.

Величка Ангелова

I agree, Desislava. Exactly this little word "if someone wants" has stuck in my mind for a long time - not "must", but "want". And I think that St. Paisius was like that, because otherwise he would not have attracted so many people without pulling them by force. Did you read the whole article?

Надежда Тодорова

Yes, Velichka, exactly that "if someone wants" stuck with me from the sermon last Sunday. St. Paisius really did not force anyone, but simply spoke with such humility that people came back to him on their own. Did you read the article to the end, what made the strongest impression on you?

Богдана Петрова

Yes, I was also impressed by exactly how St. Paisius waited for the man to ask himself or return without pulling him. I haven't read the entire article yet, but that humility in Sunday's sermon stuck with me as if it were stronger than any words. And what do you remember most from the end?

Красимира Василева

Yes, it was this humility that stuck with me the most - how Paisius did not insist, but just stood open and waited. I remembered from the end how he emphasized that love without respect for the freedom of the other becomes violence. Have you read the whole thing yet?

Борис Николов

Yes, it was this pressure-free waiting that stuck with me the most. Remembering how in the garden I wait for the tomatoes to ripen on their own instead of pulling them. And you, what exactly from Sunday's sermon made you think about humility?

Методи Атанасов

Yes, it is this "waiting without pressure" that is the most difficult for me. From Sunday's sermon, I was most struck by the moment when it was said that Christ never coerces, but simply stands at the door and knocks. It reminded me how sometimes in the accountant's office I try to "convince" clients instead of giving them time to decide for themselves. Have you really never pulled a tomato in the garden? 😊

Красимира Христова

Yes, Boris, I often think about that wait in the garden too – last year I let the peppers hang until they turned red instead of picking them green. From the sermon on Sunday, I was most moved by how the priest said that humility is not a weakness, but precisely this quiet strength of not forcing. And do you use it mostly in the garden or with the grandchildren?

Иванка Димитрова

Yes, Krassimira, I also remember how the priest spoke of this humility as a quiet strength - last Sunday, that's exactly how he said it. In my garden, it is easiest to apply, especially with tomatoes, which I let ripen on their own without picking them green. And how do you do it with the grandchildren, is there any case in which you refrained from spurring them on?

Даниела Димитрова

Yes, Boris, this waiting without pressure is the most difficult thing in the garden for me too - last week I could barely keep myself from picking the apples early. From Sunday's sermon, what made me think the most was the moment when it was said that humility is letting the other person decide for himself, without giving him a sense of guilt. And what exactly from the text of Father Achilles made you think of tomatoes?

Стоян Марков

Yes, Krasimira, I know exactly this waiting with the peppers - last fall I also let a few hang until the end instead of plucking them green. The priest said it well about humility as a quiet force, without violence. For me, it mostly happens with fishing - you sit, wait for the fish to peck on its own, without pulling. And you and the grandchildren, how do you apply it, is there a moment when you just let them decide for themselves?

Мариана Иванова

Yes, Stoyane, I left the peppers hanging last fall too – some turned red and sweet, others just withered at the root. With my grandchildren, it's the homework that is the hardest - sometimes I just close the notebook and say "make up your own mind" instead of interfering. And in your fishing, how often do you really manage not to pull the bait?