On the morning of Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia welcomed a group of students from Södertörn University College to the St. George Cathedral in Stockholm.
The group was accompanied by Professor Henrik Ohlsson and researcher Ann af Burén.
At the start, the Metropolitan greeted the students, who had requested to visit the See of the Ecumenical Throne in Scandinavia as part of their courses related to theology and the study of Churches.
As all agreed, it was their first time visiting an Orthodox church, and they were impressed by the atmosphere. They did not hide their admiration for the results of the restoration work on the Cathedral and the large murals inside the church.
For over an hour, the Metropolitan answered the students’ questions, explaining the theology of the Orthodox Church, and speaking about the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He also touched upon the voluntary participation of young people seeking to join the Orthodox Church, as well as his episcopal ministry in the Scandinavian countries over the past decade.
All attendees received a booklet with the history of the Cathedral and a publication from the Holy Metropolis, featuring the trilingual Divine Liturgy in Greek, Swedish, and English, which was printed by the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece in 2017.
In conclusion, the Bishop wished the students success in their studies, promised to keep them in his prayers, and invited them to visit the church again and to get to know the youth of the community.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
