LAST UPDATE: 30/06/2024 13:18
The Patriarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the morning of Saturday, June 29, 2024, in memory of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, at the parish Church of Saint Maximos in Arta.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was officially welcomed by Metropolitan Kallinikos of Arta and the Mayor of Arta, Christoforos Siafakas.
Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi presided over the Orthros Service, while Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy, which was concelebrated by Metropolitans Maximos of Ioannina (representing Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece), Iosif of Proikonisos, Panteleimon of Maronia and Komotini, Ierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, Athinagoras of Ilion, Acharnes and Petroupolis, Theophilos of Lefkada and Ithaca, Chrysostomos of Nikopolis and Preveza, and Dimitrios of Kefallinia.
Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, Metropolitans Kallinikos of Arta, Ignatios of Arta, Theoklitos of Stagoi and Meteora, and Kallinikos of Kastoria attended prayerfully the Divine Liturgy.
Metropolitan Kallinikos of Arta addressed the Ecumenical Patriarch and thanked him for his first visit to the Metropolis.
Subsequently, the Ecumenical Patriarch was addressed by the MPs of the prefecture, Georgios Stylios and Olga Gerovassili, the Deputy Regional Governor of Arta, Vasilios Psathas, and, on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Council, Protopresbyter Nikolaos Kakochristos.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, in turn, responded appropriately, referring to the Saints of Arta and the notable personalities who have illuminated the Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
At the conclusion of the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by his entourage, attended the ceremony to name the new square located in front of the Church of St. Maximos the Greek in Arta.
The Ecumenical Patriarch performed the sanctification rite of the new square, which was named “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I Square.”
Subsequently, the Mayor of Arta, Christoforos Siafakas, warmly welcomed Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and expressed gratitude for his visit—the first ever to the city of Arta. The Mayor also thanked the Patriarch for accepting the honorary events organized by the Municipality of Arta.
Subsequently, Konstantinos Patilas, President of the Municipal Council of Arta, read the decision to confer the honor of honorary citizenship upon Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
In his response, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Mayor and the City Council for their honorary gestures.
Finally, the Ecumenical Patriarch exchanged commemorative gifts with Mayor Siafakas.
