With great solemnity on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (December 14, 2025), the ordination to the episcopacy of Metropolitan-elect Gregory, the new Metropolitan of Ankara, was celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral at the Phanar.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with the participation of hierarchs from the Ecumenical Throne and sister Churches, including Metropolitans Damaskinos of Didymoteicho, Anthimos of Alexandroupolis, Cyril of Imbros and Tenedos, Symeon of Phthiotis, Andreas of Saranta Ekklisies, and Amphilochios of Thera, Amorgos and the Islands, among others.
In his address prior to the ordination, the Ecumenical Patriarch spoke warmly of Metropolitan Gregory’s character and long-standing service at the Phanar, noting that he had served faithfully in a range of responsibilities within the Patriarchal Court, ultimately as Grand Protosyncellus. The Patriarch expressed the conviction that the new bishop would embody “the spirit of the Phanar,” remaining faithful to the received tradition while also demonstrating pastoral attentiveness to the needs of the present age and care for the human person.
Using the image of a relay race, Patriarch Bartholomew underlined that the life of the Church requires continuity, solidarity, and coordination, stressing that each generation and each servant of the Church is called not merely to preserve what was handed down, but to run “their own stage” with vigilance and dynamic presence, because, he emphasized, “no one wins alone.”
Turning to the historic ecclesiastical province of Ankara , the Patriarch offered fatherly guidance as Metropolitan Gregory begins his archpastoral ministry. He noted that, beyond Orthodox diplomats and staff, more than ten thousand Orthodox Christians of diverse national backgrounds live and work in Turkey’s capital. He encouraged the new hierarch to safeguard a legacy of coexistence, freedom of conscience, and openness, an ethos incompatible with every form of fundamentalism.
The Patriarch also highlighted two core dimensions of episcopal identity and mission: the Divine Eucharist and service (diakonia). He reminded the newly ordained bishop that the heart of his ministry must remain the Eucharistic assembly, and he urged him to live as a servant throughout his life, embodying sacrificial love expressed in personal, concrete care for one’s neighbor.
Patriarch Bartholomew further referenced Metropolitan Gregory’s theological engagement, particularly his work on the question of Ukrainian autocephaly, and encouraged him to continue drawing inspiration from theology for his liturgical, preaching, and pastoral responsibilities, as well as for the Church’s witness in the world.
Among those present at the service were numerous hierarchs, clergy, and Archons of the Great Church of Christ, along with diplomatic representatives and a large congregation of faithful. Immediately afterward, in the Throne Hall at the Patriarchal House, Metropolitan Gregory delivered his response, expressing gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Holy and Sacred Synod for his election. He also spoke emotionally of his years of service at the Phanar and of his intention to devote himself wholeheartedly to the flock of Ankara, many of whom had traveled from the capital to attend his ordination.
Photo credit: Nikos Papachristou / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
