LAST UPDATE: 9:58 (31/5/2021)
Samaritan Sunday was celebrated solemnly in the Phanar, a day on which the Ecumenical Patriarchate celebrates the Synaxis of all the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Constantinople who have been included in the Orthodox liturgical calendar.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy, accompanied by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Metropolitans Meliton of Philadelphia, Grigori of Poti and Khobi (Georgian Orthodox Church), Maximos of Sylivria, Andreas of Saranda Ekklisies and Ioakeim of Bursa.
Metropolitan Eirinaios of Myriophyton and Peristasis delivered the panegyric of the day.
Elder Metropolitans Apostolos pf Derkoi, Dimitrios of Princes’ Islands, Metropolitans Chrysostomos of Myra, Stefanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos, the Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus, the President of Brotherhood of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Archons “Panagia Pammakaristos” and Civil Governor of Mount Athos, Archon Athanasios Martinos, along with Archons of the Ecumenical Throne, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, Georgia Sultanopoulou, Consul of Ukraine, Maxim Vdovichenko, faithful from Constantinople and many pilgrims from Ukraine attended the Divine Liturgy.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed the pilgrims from Ukraine, expressing his great joy that he will visit their country next August on the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence.
“You are in a sacred place in Constantinople where the Ecumenical Councils met. From here the missionaries traveled to spread the Gospel of Christ to the Slavic peoples.
When you come here from Ukraine, you are not just visitors, but you are coming to your home, to your Mother Church,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said to the pilgrims, who in turn expressed their gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the granting of the Autocephaly Tomos to the Church of Ukraine.
Immediately afterwards, in his speech at the reception in Eugenides Hall, Archon Exarch Athanasios Martinos referred to the goals and future actions of the Brotherhood.
He said one goal was the organization of a festal event for the 30th anniversary of the election and enthronement of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He said the event would take place in Athens in November.
He hoped that the Ecumenical Patriarch would be able to attend the event.
“May God grant you health and longevity, give You courage in Your blessed struggles and in Your good testimony for truth, for freedom in Christ and for love, crucified and glorified. May God grant you many years and strength,” concluded Archon Athanasios Martinos.
In his reply, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the significance of the feast of the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Constantinople, which was established shortly after his enthronement, and warmly welcomed the president of the Brotherhood, and all the Archons present, who he thanked for their multidimensional support in the work of the Mother Church.
He thanked, in particular, Archon Athanasios Martinos for his undertaking the expenditure for the renovation of the buildings of the Halki seminary and the Urban School of Galata.
The Ecumenical Patriarch also warmly welcomed Metropolitan Grigori of Poti and Khobi, Hierarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, with whom, he said, the Great Church of Christ maintains strong spiritual ties.