Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece expressed his deep emotion and joy during the ceremony in which he was proclaimed Honorary President of the Brotherhood of Dimitsanites “Gregory V”, held last night at the Divani Caravel Hotel.
“Today, through your words, I escaped the formal and returned to my years in Thebes and to the simple spirit of that time,” he said, addressing those present and thanking the speakers warmly for their kind and esteemed words towards him.
The Archbishop arrived at the event accompanied by the General Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, Protopresbyter Fr Emmanouil Papamikroulis, and was warmly welcomed by the President of the Brotherhood of Dimitsanites “Gregory V”, Mr Filippos Sotiropoulos.
The event was opened by Metropolitan Nikiforos of Gortyna and Megalopolis, who gave a warm speech about the Archbishop’s personality and highlighted the multifaceted pastoral and social work he has carried out in the Church of Greece over many years.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Konstantinos Vlasis, also delivered greetings and expressed his gratitude and esteem for the Archbishop.
Visibly moved, the President of the Brotherhood of Dimitsanites “Gregory V”, Filippos Sotiropoulos, emphasised in his speech that the proclamation of Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, as Honorary President of the Brotherhood of Dimitsanites “Gregory V” was of particular symbolic and substantial significance for both the Brotherhood and Dimitsana.
Subsequently, individuals connected with the Archbishop took the floor, sharing personal testimonies and reflections.
The renowned performer Haris Alexiou remarked: “I do not know whether song reaches where prayer reaches, but when both are true, they reach very high.”
Chrysanthi Giallou, Associate Professor of Archaeology, referred to the Archbishop’s special love for archaeology and his long-standing involvement in promoting cultural heritage.
Former minister Angela Gerekou emphasised that “the Archbishop does not invest in image, but in people. We need your light to guide us on the right path”.
Ms Antonia Moropoulou, Professor of the School of Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, referred to the restoration work on the Holy Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as her long-standing collaboration with the Archbishop.
Professor of Cardiology, Mr Konstantinos Toutouzas, noted that the Archbishop “unceasingly serves humanity with humility”.
When he took the floor, the Archbishop spoke from the heart about his years of ministry in Thebes, referring to the work he carried out with the late Metropolitan of Thebes and Levadeia, Nikodimos, to support and educate young people.
He also made special reference to his spiritual elder, expressing his admiration and gratitude for teaching him to become a better priest and abandon the strictness and abrupt behaviour that used to prevail in earlier times.
“The priest must find a better way, not a harsh one,” he said, characteristically expressing his joy at the evening, during which everyone spoke from the heart rather than out of formal obligation, as he noted.
Concluding his speech, the Archbishop stressed: “Today, we had the opportunity to experience true communication,” thanking all those who contributed to the event.
Notably, he is the first Archbishop to be proclaimed Honorary President of this historic association, thereby strengthening the unbreakable bonds between Dimitsana, the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, and the nation’s Orthodox tradition.
Those in attendance included the Metropolitans of Laodicea, Theodoritos (Director of the Office of Representation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens); Monemvasia and Sparta, Efstathios; Thebes, Levadeia and Avlida, Georgios; Mantineia and Kynouria, Epifanios; the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, Ioannis (Bishop of Skiathos); the Chief Vicar of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, Varnavas (Bishop of Christoupolis); and the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens, Ieronymos Delioglou (Archimandrite).
Photographs: Christos Bonis
