The Feast of Exaltation of the Precious Cross was solemnly celebrated in the Sacred Center of Orthodoxy.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, September 14, 2024. He was accompanied by Metropolitans Eirinaios of Myriophyton and Peristasis, Theoliptos of Iconium, Andreas of Saranta Ekklisies, and Theodoros of Seleucia.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, Archimandrite Bosporios, along with the Under-Secretary, Deacon Ecumenius.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch, following tradition, distributed flowers and basil to the archpriests, the clergy of the Patriarchal Court, the Archons in attendance, and finally to all the faithful.
The event was attended by Bishop Ambrosios of Evdokiada, Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, Archons of the Great Church of Christ, and a large delegation from the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) led by General Secretary Maximos Charakopoulos, a member of the Greek Parliament. The new President of the IAO General Assembly, Ioan Vulpescu, a member of the Romanian Parliament, was also present, along with believers from Constantinople and abroad.
On the eve of the feast, the Ecumenical Patriarch, following tradition, presided over the Great Vespers at the Church of St. Nicholas in Topkapi.
The Divine Word was delivered by the Patriarchal Deacon Evlogios Tsatsas.
Immediately afterward, in the Community Hall, the Ecumenical Patriarch was addressed by Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, the Supervisor of the Hypsomatheia Region.
In his response, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized the central importance of the cross in the lives of Christians. He also referred to the recent heinous act of shooting an icon of the Virgin Mary in Switzerland, strongly condemning this offensive action.
“Our life is always full of all kinds of crosses. These crosses, always in reference to the Unique Cross of our Savior and Redeemer, rest upon our shoulders. We are not intimidated by the chaos of the ages, for we know well that “Christ is all and in all”!
We must always remember that the Cross is an eternal and indestructible symbol of sacrifice and offering. Especially today, in an era marked by desacralization and even the insult of religious symbols in the name of a misunderstood freedom—which is, in fact, an abuse of freedom—there are actions that starkly reveal this misuse. A recent example is the heinous act of repeatedly shooting at a replica of a well-known icon by the Italian painter Tommaso del Mazza, depicting the Virgin and Child. This act was carried out by a municipal councillor in Zurich, under the pretense of “defusing.”We take this opportunity to strongly and unequivocally condemn, as the Ecumenical Patriarchate, this extremely reprehensible act. It not only deeply offends the faith of millions of Christians around the world but also deals a significant blow to modern European culture.
This is not a form of freedom of expression, but an open act of sacrilege and vandalism. We wholeheartedly congratulate the Holy Metropolis of Switzerland, the righteous Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne, and its worthy Shepherd, Brother Maximos, for the measured and condemnatory statement he promptly issued on this matter.
This unfortunate incident brings to mind the wise words of our unforgettable Elder, the late Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon, who prophetically emphasized that, since the dawn of time, various philosophical and ideological systems, political and social theories, along with remarkable scientific achievements and impressive technological developments, have aimed—either consciously or subconsciously—toward a single goal:
However, the unwavering response of the Great Church of Christ, the Church of the Crucified Christ, the Crucified Church, has always been and remains the same: “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23). This is the crucifixion tradition of the Great Church, and we are all called to be its continuators.
Concluding his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his gratitude to the Metropolitan of Selyvria “for the order and decency that we find prevailing in all the communities under his responsibility, as well as for the example of faithful and dedicated ministry that he has been offering for a decade as a High Priest of our Ecumenical Throne.”
He also congratulated the Hierarchical Head of the Community, Fr. Konstantinos, along with all the members of the Ecclesiastical Committee, for the work carried out in the Community.
Photos: Nikos Papachristou
