Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who on Friday, July 26, in the morning, officiated the Divine Liturgy, at the celebrating Agia Paraskevi Pikridiou Church (Saint Paraskevi at Haskoy), which has been granted by the Patriarchate to serve the Romanian-speaking Community of Constantinople, spoke about the importance of preserving the doctrines and the genuine and authentic ecclesiology of the Church.
“Each place has a Bishop regardless of ethnic origin”, characteristically stressed, inter alia, Bartholomew.
He added that “The first element of this ecclesiology is that every place has a Bishop regardless of ethnic origin. This is understood here in Constantinople because we have believers of different origins and because they live and work here, they are our own flock. Accordingly, if an Orthodox from Constantinople goes to stay or work in Romania, he will belong to the flock of Patriarch Daniel of Romania”, explained the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Referring to the Ukrainian issue, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed that the Church of Constantinople has been receiving messages and appeals for decades to solve the ongoing problem in Ukraine.
As it was obliged to do, said Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarchate called a meeting in Ukraine with all the Archpriests, which elected Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine, Epiphanius, as Primate, to whom the Tomos of Autocephaly was granted.
“Therefore, another daughter-church was born, and we take care of it everyday so that it can prosper and manage its ecclesiastical issues on its own”.
In his speech, Bartholomew also referred to the late Patriarch Dositheos of Jerusalem, in the memory of whom, after the Divine Liturgy, there were performed exequies.
Concluding his speech, Patriarch Bartholomew urged members of the Romanian-speaking Community of Constantinople to continue to struggle for the good and good testimony of Jesus Christ and to cultivate the Orthodox wisdom and morality.
Last but not least, the Holy Liturgy was also attended by the General Consul of Greece in Constantinople, Mrs. Georgia Sultanopoulou, and the Romanian Consul in Constantinople, Mr. Alexandru Opaschi.
