The memory of the Three Hierarchs and “Protectors of the Letters” is celebrated with special splendor in the Holy Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, during the Great Vespers of the Feast, Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria presided, having arrived that same afternoon to join the Ecumenical Patriarch and the accompanying bishops and clergy in traveling to Tirana on Thursday for the funeral service of Blessed Archbishop Anastasios of Albania.
Celebrating with the Patriarch were the Metropolitans: Elder Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Elder Apostolos of Derkoi, Irineos of Myriophytos and Peristasis, Chrysostomos of Mitylene, Theoleptos of Iconium, George of Guinea, Stefanos of Kallipolis and Madytos, Athinagoras of Cydonion, Maximos of Silivria, Andreas of the Forty Churches, Joachim of Prusa and Theodore of Seleucia.
The festive speech was delivered by the Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Private Patriarchal Office.
Also, present and praying were Bishops Adrianos of Alikarnassos, Kassianos of Arabissos and Smaragdos of Daphnousia, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, the Education Coordinator of the Consulate General of Greece, Dimitra Vourdoglou, the Board of Directors, the Principal and Professors of the Patriarchal Great School of the Nation, as well as professors and students from other Greek schools abroad and the faithful of the city.
After vespers, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria led the customary memorial service for the repose of the souls of the deceased founders, benefactors, trustees, directors, professors, teachers, caretakers, and students of the Great School of the Nation.
Immediately afterwards, the festive reception took place in the Throne Room, which this year was held a day earlier due to the upcoming trip of the Ecumenical Patriarch to Tirana.
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that the Orthodox Church “honors the most sacred memory of the Three Hierarchs… thanking them for their struggle for the truth of the faith, for their ecclesiastical ministry, for their philanthropic and social actions, for their constant concern for the education and Christ-like upbringing of the new generation, as well as for their great contributions to theology and the union of Christianity and Greek philosophy, which opened new horizons in theology, enriched philosophy and extended its reach”.
The Ecumenical Patriarch focused on the importance of “the invaluable legacy of the Three Hierarchs in the face of today’s global technological culture, especially artificial intelligence, which touches all aspects of human activity, profoundly changing our lives and determining the course of humanity. He recalled that the Bioethics Committee of the Ecumenical Patriarchate recently organized a conference on artificial intelligence in the city of Rethymno, while a similar scientific conference was hosted by the Patriarchate just before Christmas. “All these, together with many other initiatives, show that the Church and theology are not indifferent to the modern world, scientific progress, culture, and the conditions in which our lives unfold, but express the good witness of Orthodoxy with sensitivity, without always defending themselves as if everything and everyone were against them, but emphasizing the relevance of the Christian Gospel.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch then addressed the youth, especially the students who were celebrating the feast, and more generally the new generation, “who are experiencing unprecedented developments and progress in the fields of technology and communication, and who are called to creatively combine in their lives the identity of an Orthodox Christian and a modern human being”. He offered ten paternal exhortations regarding the proper use of new technologies.
The Ecumenical Patriarch then warmly greeted Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, and both spoke with kind words about the late Archbishop of Albania, His Beatitude Anastasios, and his significant work.
Earlier, the Ecumenical Patriarch was greeted by Mr. Panteleimon Panagiotidis, President of the Board of Directors of the Patriarchal Great School of the Nation.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou / Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
