On Clean Monday, 23 February 2026, at midday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received, according to established tradition, the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne residing in Constantinople. On the occasion of the beginning of Holy and Great Lent, they exchanged brotherly greetings in a spirit of mutual forgiveness.
Later the same day, he presided from the Patriarchal Throne at the sacred service of Great Compline in the venerable Patriarchal Church at the Phanar.
Cheesefare Sunday and the First Lenten Vespers at the Phanar
On Cheesefare Sunday, 22 February 2026, the Patriarchal Exarch, Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, presided at the Divine Liturgy in the Patriarchal Church, attended by faithful from the City and numerous pilgrims from abroad.
Following the Gospel reading, the Sub-Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, Deacon Oikoumenios, read the Catechetical Encyclical of the Ecumenical Patriarch for the commencement of Holy and Great Lent.
That same afternoon, Metropolitan Theodoros of Seleucia presided at the First Lenten Vespers (the Vespers of Forgiveness), celebrated in the Patriarchal Church.
On the previous evening, Saturday, following Vespers at which he presided, the Patriarchal Exarch also celebrated a Trisagion service for the repose of the soul of the late Metropolitan of Xanthos, Demetrios.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou
