by Thanos Thanopoulos
A brilliant Con-celebration of the Divine Liturgy took place on Sunday, June 2, in Damascus.
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Ioannis of Antioch in the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Hierarchs of the Church of Antioch and the Church of Serbia concelebrated the Divine Liturgy.
After the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Ioannis said: “We cannot but commemorate the Church of Serbia, its founders, and their missionary work, when they sacrificed their lives to spread the Gospel, and they defended their Orthodox faith”.
Patriarch Ioannis added: “This meeting fills us with joy and strength to overcome the difficulties. The Church of Antioch is a Church deeply rooted in faith, and the Church of Serbia is the Church of Faith. This meeting sends a message of peace and joy from Damascus to all parts of the world, confirming that Jesus Christ is the One who unites us.”
On his part, the Patriarch of Serbia thanked the Patriarch of Antioch for his warm words and stressed: “Our coming to this country, the land of the Saints, is a gift from the Lord, especially because these holy lands are the land of the Apostles and the Martyrs.”
Then the Patriarch of Serbia offered an Icon of Saint Savvas, a set of engolpia, and a crosier to Patriarch Ioannis in memory of the visit.
Finally, Patriarch Ioannis of Antioch awarded the Medal of the Order of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul to Patriarch Irinej.
