Bishop Maximos of Melitene went to Cyprus, following the invitation of the Holy Metropolis of Kition and the Municipality of Aradippou, to preside over the holy feast of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke Aradippou.
On Sunday, the Bishop presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Byzantine church of Panagia Aggeloktisti in Kiti. On Tuesday, he presided over the Vespers Service of the Apostle Luke Aradippou, along with Metropolitan Nektarios of Kition, and Bishop Iakovos of Claudiopolis.
Bishop Maximos of Melitene was warmly welcomed by the Metropolitan. The Mayor of Aradippou, Evangelos Evangelidis, thanked him for visiting Cyprus and offered him an Anniversary Tomos of the Municipality of Aradippou.
The Bishop preached the Divine Word and conveyed to the Metropolitan and the congregation the wishes of Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain.
On Wednesday, October 18, Bishop Maximos of Melitene presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrating with priests of the Holy Metropolis and from Nicosia. Ministers of the Government, MPs and local authorities also
attended the service. After the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Head of the Church, Protopresbyter Panagiotis Douris, offered the Bishop a holy icon of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. This was followed by a procession around the Church and an official luncheon.
The Bishop also had the opportunity to meet and pay his respects to Archbishop George of Cyprus, to venerate the tomb and the Royal Stavropegic Monastery of the Apostle Barnabas in the Turkish-occupied region of Salamis, as well as to visit the Royal Stavropegic Monastery of Kykkos, the tomb of the late Archbishop of Cyprus Makarios III.