Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico and Exarch of Central America and the Caribbean Islands continues his pastoral visits to the east of his Province, to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, just a few days after his first visit to Colombia.
On Palm Sunday, April 28, 2024, Metropolitan Iakovos celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Caracas, Venezuela. In his sermon, the Archbishop referred to the importance of the feast and underlined the “Great Paradox” of Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem: “Put yourself in the shoes of our Lord. See the faces of those who exclaim “Hosanna”, see the children who place the palm trees as you enter the Holy City. Then realize that you know these faces! They are the same ones that a few days later will betray you, mock you, slap you.” He concluded by articulating, “To grasp our present reality, to comprehend the essence of this moment, we shall ultimately echo the words of the centurion: ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’ It is through the boundless love of our God that He sacrificed His own blood for our redemption, an act unparalleled in its magnitude and significance.”
The Metropolitan paid his first pastoral visit to Colombia between March 26 and April 9. The Archbishop was welcomed to the country by Bishop Timotheos of Assos, Supervisor of the Hierarchical District of Colombia and Venezuela, along with clergy and young people from parishes of the capital Bogotá.
During his visit to the capital, the Metropolitan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. He also visited the Apostolic Nuncio of the Vatican in Colombia, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, with whom he exchanged Easter wishes and discussed issues related to the presence of the Orthodox Communities in a country where Roman Catholicism is the majority. Afterwards, Mr. Iakovos visited the Ministry of Interior of the country, where he met with the competent Minister of Religious Affairs, Mr. Marcos Suarez. After discussing the need to further promote constitutional religious freedom, the Metropolitan thanked the Minister for his continued support for the Orthodox community of Colombia.
On April 1, the Archbishop traveled to Pereira, where he performed the Presanctified Liturgy, met with members of the local community, who offered a meal in his honor. There he had the opportunity to visit the Anglican Bishop of New Granada (Colombia) of the Anglican communities Germain Orego Ourtado, accompanied by the priest of the local parish, Archimandrite Chrysostomos Arias Charamigio – head of the Theological Seminary of Pereira and secretary of the Metropolitan Council.
He also visited the community of Kali, the parish of which is currently housed in a Roman Catholic Cathedral.
The next destination on Metropolitan Iakovos’s pastoral journey was Medellín, where he convened with Mr. Spyros Kogas, the President of the Greek Community of Colombia, alongside other esteemed members of the local community. Additionally, he shared a meal with the residents of the elderly care unit overseen by the Community, fostering bonds of compassion and solidarity. On the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Archangel Michael in Copacabana, the largest parish of the city of Medellin. More than 500 believers attended the service.
Shortly before his departure, Metropolitan Iakovos arrived in the apartment of Cordoba to supervise the progress of the construction of the Church of St. Athanasius the Great. There the youth of the community sang local songs. Before crossing the Colombian-Venezuelan border, Metropolitan Iakovos visited the local favelas, a place of residence for refugees, where he distributed food and footwear packages.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
