On Ash Tuesday afternoon, March 8, 2022, the Lieutenant-General of the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus, Dimokritos Zervakis visited the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, accompanied by his collaborators, Lieutenant Colonel Foukkaris Lukas, Lieutenant Colonel Nikolaos Georgiou, Captain Christos Matsentidis and Lieutenant Commander Andreas Markos.
The Lieutenant General and his collaborators were warmly received by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Hagiotaphite Fathers.
In this meeting, the participants expressed their joy for their return after their last visit in 2016, when the Patriarch told Zervakis “you will return as a leader”, which actually happened. The joy of this visit was enhanced by the visit to Jerusalem which has been watered with Christ’s blood. Continuous prayers are offered from the Life-giving Tomb for the cessation of war and the comfort and strengthening of the needy, the refugees, and all those who suffer in any way.
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem incarnates the sacred history and when humanity does not accept the sacred history, it suffers calamities. The Patriarchate has a pastoral and reconciliatory mission. It testifies to the sacred history, the Old and the New Testament. Due to its bond with Cyprus, it prays especially for its liberation.
The Lieutenant-General asked the Patriarch’s prayer for strength to successfully complete his mission and departed for his pious visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where he was received by Geronda Sacristan, Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis.
On this visit, the Lieutenant General offered His Beatitude an icon of the Holy Trinity and the Theotokos and a plaque of the Ministry of Defence and fasting Turkish delights.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem offered the visitor a silver painting of the Holy City of Jerusalem, an icon of the Theotokos of Jerusalem and of the Sacred Edicule, and blessings for his collaborators.
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem