The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Thursday, 18 December 2025, at the Church of Saint Demetrios of Sarmasikio, where the historic Holy Spring of the Saint Great Martyr Sebastian, commemorated on that day, is also located.
The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his joy and deep emotion at visiting once again this year the Community of Sarmasikio, “a tradition which we established at the beginning of our humble Patriarchate, as an expression of praise and gratitude to God the Giver of all, for our election by divine grace on this day in the year 1973 to the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia.”
The Patriarch continued: “Each year on this day, our thoughts return and relive those moments. We believe that every person leaves something of himself, something of his heart, in the place where he was once called to offer his services in ministry to the Church, to society, and to humankind. That “something” is later transformed into nostalgia, into remembrance, into a lasting and indissoluble spiritual bond that brings sweetness to life. All this exists to an even greater degree when relationships between persons and institutions are honest, upright, sincere, and pure. Then mutual respect and trust are firmly established, and the ideal or the institution which those persons serve is fulfilled more fruitfully and effectively.
This was precisely the relationship which our Modesty built with our blessed predecessor, the Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios, when he called us, as a young Archimandrite, to assume in July 1972 the direction of the then newly established Private Patriarchal Office. This very relationship we renewed together in Synod on 18 December 1973, when Patriarch Demetrios, in the so-called “Mikro Minima,” together with the announcement of our election as Metropolitan of Philadelphia, expressed his deep conviction that “we would honor in all things the Church that honored us, and that with greater responsibility, zeal, and diligence, we would serve the Mother Church, always in humility, fidelity, and obedience to her, considering her glory as our own, unto the glory of God.”
For this reason, our own reply, in our response on the day of our episcopal ordination, at Christmas 1973, was as follows: “I give to the Church, at this sacred moment, the promise that also under my new capacity I shall labor, with all my humble strength, with even greater zeal than today and with the same fidelity and devotion, for her glory, unto the glory of God and for the salvation of souls.” And we continued: “I promise before Your All-Holiness to love, honor, and respect every person as an image of God, and to serve humankind with joy and willingness, and, if need be, to sacrifice myself on its behalf. After all, Philadelphia will unceasingly remind me that I am obliged to love my brothers.”
Fifty-two years later, this same promise continues to move our souls profoundly and remains the guiding principle of every decision we make and of our pastoral ministry as a whole. This promise sustained and strengthened us in the Venerable Center of Orthodoxy throughout all these years. And when harsh and difficult times came, once again in this promise and in our steadfast faith in God, we found refuge and support, drawing from it patience and renewed strength. Truly, “great are the achievements of faith.” With this faith as our provision, even when we find ourselves in the fire of the flame or in the threatening cold of the northern steppes, we feel as though we are resting beside still waters.
Without ignoring the many crosses, pains, and afflictions of daily life, we walk the path of our destiny, never forgetting that without the Cross there is no Resurrection. Through the Cross comes the salvation of humanity. Through the Cross come life, strength, and virtue. Through the Cross come the Resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of humankind. Through the Cross comes witness and martyrdom. This is our duty. All else lies in the hands of God, who writes history through us human beings, and who will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear.”
Referring to the recent official visit of Pope Leo XIV of Rome to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarch said:
“The Papal visit drew worldwide attention, and everyone spoke and wrote about it. Our presence here today is a simple and customary visit of a shepherd to his flock, which presents nothing extraordinary. Therefore, there appears to be no similarity and no comparison between these two visits. And yet, there is indeed a similarity, and it lies in the motivation behind both.
A few days before he departs from Rome for Turkey, and again during his response at the All-Venerable Patriarchal Church on the feast day of our Patron Saint Andrew, the Pope stated that as long as the Christian world remains divided, the credibility of the Gospel is diminished and the work and mission of the Church in the world are weakened. Pope Leo therefore came to us so that we might be united in spirit and jointly strengthen the theological dialogue between our sister Churches. He came to help build Christian unity and to contribute to a more effective exercise of the pastoral and missionary work of the Church toward the restless contemporary world.
This Papal visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate thus also had a pastoral dimension. Likewise, our own visit to you here today, beloved children in the Lord, is purely pastoral in nature. Our duty as shepherds of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and the love and peace that flow from it in every direction, to those near and far alike.
With these timely reflections, we wished to address our gathering today with paternal greetings in the name of the Lord. Our Eucharistic assemblies during Patriarchal liturgical presidings in various communities of our Most Holy Archdiocese strengthen the faith of all of us who pray together and are a source of joy and personal pride for us, as they offer us each time the opportunity for communication with our most beloved flock here.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his Patriarchal satisfaction to Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus, Overseer of the Phanar–Golden Horn District, as well as to the parish priest and the Ecclesiastical Committee of the Community for the work being carried out.
He also warmly welcomed Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Symi and his recently ordained auxiliary, Bishop Antonios of Rhaedestus, “to whom we wish a God-pleasing and fruitful episcopal ministry, for the strengthening and support of the pastoral work of this frontier Eparchy of the Mother Church,” as well as the delegation of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of Saint Dionysios of Olympus, led by its Abbot, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Maximos, “who unfailingly comes every year on such festive days to receive the blessing of the Mother Church for the new year and brings us great joy.”
Earlier, Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus had welcomed the Ecumenical Patriarch with warm words.
Later that same afternoon, the Patriarch visited the Baloukli Nursing Home, where he was informed by Mr. Konstantinos Ioannidis, President of the Governing Board of the Hospital Foundation, about the completion of the restoration works on the building, which had been destroyed by fire in August 2022.
Photos: Nikos Papachristou / Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
