Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be declared an honorary citizen of Kilkis on Saturday, September 21. The ceremony, following a unanimous decision of the City Council, will take place at the Kilkis Conference Centre to mark his visit for the centenary celebration of the elevation of the Diocese of Polyani to the Metropolis of Polyani and Kilkis.
The proposal for his honorary citizenship was put forward by the mayor of Kilkis, Dimitris Kyriakides. Last November, Mayor Kyriakides, along with Metropolitan Bartholomew of Polyani and Kilkis, visited the Phanar to extend an official invitation to the Ecumenical Patriarch.
“The invitation to the Metropolis of Kilkis, which belongs to the provinces of the Patriarchal Throne, is extended on the occasion of the centenary of the elevation of our diocese. This anniversary event is of utmost significance and will undoubtedly enhance the prestige of the religious celebrations while strengthening the indissoluble ties between the spiritual cradle of the Ecumenical Throne and the Holy Metropolis of Polyani and Kilkis,” stated the mayor of Kilkis in his introduction to the municipal council.
“For the Municipality of Kilkis, the visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch is of great importance. Bartholomew, apart from being a venerable religious leader, possesses a strong spiritual personality with international radiance. Furthermore, the city of Kilkis, predominantly a refugee settlement, will serve as a place of historical and national pilgrimage for His Holiness.”
