LAST UPDATE: 14:30
Archbishop of Australia Makarios presided over the Divine Liturgy for the Three Holy Hierarchs (according to the Julian calendar) was celebrated today, Friday, February 12, 2021, at Saint Andrew Metochion in Galatas, with the participation of Slavic-speaking faithful of Constantinople. The Archbishop is currently visiting in Constantinople to participate in the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 16-18.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the koliva were blessed in memory of the saints and the head of the Metochion, Archim. Panaretos, Grand Hierokyrix of the Great Church of Christ, addressed the Archbishop of Australia.
In his reply, Archbishop Makarios thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for his permission and blessing to officiate the service in the metochion to which he came “as a humble pilgrim,” he said as reported by vema.com.au.
“Even though it is snowing outside, we are so cosy here and we feel the warmth of the Church,” he stressed. “I am referring more to the spiritual warmth of the Church and Christ,” he said, “which comes from two things; the first is the love we must have for each other and the second is unity.”
In the same vein, Archbishop Makarios pointed out: “When the missionaries left here and went to Kyiv and all over Russia, christianized the people there, and gave each person a coin. Just as each coin has two sides, so the coin that your ancestors received had two sides. One side wrote the word love and the other side wrote the word unity. So I come today from Australia and I give you this coin to keep in your heart. Be loved and united in the name of Christ. Love Patriarch Bartholomew and pray for him. Love Patriarch Kyrill and pray for him, too. Love all the hierarchs and all the priests and monks. And may you also love each other.”