On June 18-21, 2021, Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy paid a pastoral visit to the historic Greek Orthodox Community of Trieste on the great Feast of Pentecost, as reported by fanarion.blogspot.com.
On the morning of Friday, June 18, the Metropolitan, accompanied by the Hierarchical Head, Archimandrite Grigorios Miliaris, the President of the Community, Stylianos Ritsos, the Honorary Consul General of Greece, Marina Pappas-Kedrou, and the Consul General of Cyprus, Michael Hatzakis, visited Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and the president promised every possible support to the local community and the Greek Orthodox Church. He then visited the Office of the Honorary Consul General of Greece in Trieste, Marina Pappa-Kedrou.
On the morning of Saturday, June 19, he presided over the Divine Liturgy for the Saturday of the Souls before Pentecost in the historic Chapel of the Holy Apostles of the Greek Orthodox Cemetery of Trieste, which is a historic monumental complex of the Italian State.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Metropolitan performed the memorial service for the rest of all the Greek Orthodox who passed away.
Afterwards, accompanied by the President and the Vice-President of the Community, he inspected the renovation works carried out in the cementary, financed by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
In the afternoon, accompanied by Fr. Gregory, he visited the church and the seat of the historic Serbian Orthodox Community of St. Spyridon, where he was welcomed by the hierarchical head and the president.
On Sunday, June 20, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of Pentecost was celebrated in the Church of Saint Nicholas and the Holy Trinity of the Greek Orthodox Community of Trieste, followed by the Great Vespers of the Holy Spirit and the Kneeling prayers.
A reception in honor of the Metropolitan took place in the adjacent Community Hall, which was attended by the faithful.
In the afternoon of the same day, he co-operated at its headquarters after the Bureau of the Community, namely the President and the two Vice-Presidents.
On Monday, June 21, Monday of the Holy Spirit, he performed a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the second feast day of the Church of Saint Nicholas and the Holy Trinity, accompanied by Archimandrite Gregory, Hierarchical Head of the Community and Protopresbyter Rasko, Hierarchical Head of the Serbian Orthodox Community.
The Divine Liturgy was attended by Archbishop of Trieste, Mons. Giampaolo Crepaldi, and the mayor of the city. The Metropolitan held a meeting with the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tirest in the office of the church.
This was followed by a festive reception at the famous Caffè degli Specchi, located inside Palazzo Stratti, owned by the once-prosperous Greek family of the same name in Trieste.
The Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community, Alexander Meloni, also attended the reception, with whom the Metropolitan had a cordial conversation.
In the afternoon of the same day, the Metropolitan, accompanied by the hierarchal head of the Community, the president of the Community and the consuls of Greece and of Cyprus, visited successively the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza, and the Prefect of Trieste, Valerio Valenti, in their offices.
Both meetings were held in a cordial atmosphere, and the Metropolitan thanked both for the support of the Municipality and the Prefecture to the historic Community. In the evening, the Metropolitan returned by road to the large and historic San Giorgio dei Greci in Venice.
In all his meetings, the Metropolitan pointed out the indisputable fact that the city of Trieste is not meant without the Greek Orthodox element, which continues to be beneficial for the city in many ways.
