Immediately after attending the service at the Monastery in Balikli, the Ecumenical Patriarch visited the Church of the Community of Kontoskali, which was celebrating the feast of the Great Martyr Kyriaki. Metropolitan Theoklitos of Stagoi and Meteora presided over the Divine Liturgy at the request of the Ecumenical Patriarch, who is currently visiting Constantinople with a group of pilgrims from his diocese.
The Ecumenical Patriarch reflected on his recent meeting with Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus at the Holy Monastery in Balikli.
“We are deeply honored by the visit of the Archbishop of Cyprus. We hold him, as well as all our fellow Primates, in the highest regard and extend our brotherly love and sincerity in our discussions. Our commitment to strengthening Pan-Orthodox unity, which has been a central focus of our Patriarchate from the very start, remains steadfast. We have devoted ourselves to this cause and will persist in our efforts until the end.”
In closing his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch highlighted the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s inter-Christian initiatives. He reflected on his recent visit to northern Italy, which concluded late on Saturday, and noted the recent official Patriarchal Delegation sent to the Vatican for the Thronal Feast of the Church of Rome.
Earlier, Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, who oversees the Hypsomatheia region, and Alexandra Tsitsekoglou, President of the Ecclesiastical Committee, addressed the Ecumenical Patriarch. Additionally, the Metropolitan of Stagoi and Meteora expressed his gratitude to the Patriarch for the warm welcome and the honor of officiating at the celebrating Church.
Photos: Nikos Papachristou