In a highly emotional atmosphere, Palm Sunday was celebrated in the place of origin of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in the village of Agioi Theodoroi of Imbros.
The Ecumenical Patriarch presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint George, accompanied by Metropolitans Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, Kyrillos of Moschonisia, and Chrysostomos of Myra.
The Divine Word was proclaimed by Patriarchal Deacon Ieronymos Sotirelis.
Bishop Iakovos of Stovia, assistant to Metropolitan Naoum of Stromnitsa, of the Ohrid Archdiocese, with clergy and laity from the Republic of North Macedonia, Archons of the Church of Saint Theodore and other villages of the island, as well as Imbrians and friends of Imbros from abroad, attended the Divine Liturgy.
After the Dismissal, the Ecumenical Patriarch granted the Offikion of the Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne to the Hieromonks Cyril Delovski and Anatolius Lazeski, brothers of the Holy Monastery of Timios Prodromos Bigorski of the Holy Archdiocese of Ohrid. He also ordained Elders Alexander Dimoski, Boban (Eleftherios) Mitevksi, and Symeon Kanturski as Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, and awarded the same offikion to Elders Nikolaos Hristoski, Dimche Gjorgjieski, and Cyril Jovanski, clergy of various Provinces of the Holy Archdiocese of Ohrid.
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the entry of Christ into Jerusalem and the expectations of the people who welcomed him with euphemisms, “because they believe that He is omnipotent, that they can satisfy His innermost request to dominate the earth so that they enjoy the honors and glory of this world.”
Subsequently, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the presence of the Bishop of Stovia and the honored clergy from the Holy Archdiocese of Ohrid.
“Today we have in our village, in our place, in Imbros, distinguished visitors brothers from abroad, from the Ohrid Archdiocese, from the Republic of North Macedonia. They came to pay their respects in the person of the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Great Church of Christ, which as a true Mother embraced these people, and this Church, which was for about 70 years cut off from the body of the rest of Orthodoxy, without communion with the other (local) Orthodox Churches.
And the Ecumenical Patriarchate came again, as he has done on many similar occasions through history, to restore communion with these brothers, the Christians of North Macedonia, to introduce them into communion with the rest of the Orthodox world. This happened last May, on May 9, 2022, and after the Ecumenical Patriarchate began other Churches recognized their canonicality, to receive them in communion with them.
And now we are at the stage of preparing the attribution to this Church, under certain conditions, of the status of Autocephaly. We are on the right track, negotiations are continuing.
The main thing was that we were able to serve together and receive Holy Communion from the same holy cup. Now the rest is secondary. I repeat that the main thing was that we stood around the same altar of the Patriarchal Church, thus demonstrating the unity of the faith.
The Archimandrites and the Protopresbyters, who were honored today by the Holy Mother of Christ the Great Church, will return to their country crusaders, spiritual heroes, and beloved children of the Great Church of Christ, and will carry there the message of affection and love, with which the Ecumenical Patriarchate surrounds these brothers of ours there, despite the various mischiefs heard unfortunately by other sister Churches, which do not respect the canonical order, do not respect the Orthodox tradition, and try to introduce new demons into Orthodox ecclesiology and Orthodox canon law. But the Lord God lives.”
In his brief greeting, Bishop Iakovos expressed his joy for his visit to Imbros, while conveying the venerations of Archbishop Stefan and all the Hierarchs of the Ohrid Archdiocese, who, as he said, maintain an unbreakable bond with the Holy Mountain, “which is under your protection and jurisdiction.” Finally, he thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for the highly honorable award of the Offikia to the clergy of the Ohrid Archdiocese.
Then the Ecumenical Patriarch offered bay leaves to the whole congregation.
Photos: Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate
