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The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy that was held at the Church of Panagia Faneromeni in Nea Michaniona.
“Fortunately, the warlords and the invaders don’t have the final say,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, referring to the war in Ukraine, while expressing his sorrow for the dead and the victims.
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Panagia Faneromeni, in Nea Michaniona, pointed out that “the joy of this unique Easter joy, no pain, no temptation, no misery of this life, can deprive us” because “it is of a different level, of a different quality, of a different dynamic” and added:
“Not even the terrible and merciless war that has been waging an Orthodox nation against another, also an Orthodox one, for more than three months. Yes, we ache for the dead, we grieve for the wounded and the refugees, we weep for the various depravities, weep for the destruction of towns and villages. Yes. But, fortunately, the warlords and the invaders don’t have the final say. He is not for the unrighteous, the cruel, and the wicked. Sweet Jesus, the philanthropist Christ, the true authority of the world and history has the last word.”
“And sooner or later the everlasting gates of evil shall be removed and destroyed. The tragedy will end.”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew went on to say that God will bring peace and will eradicate all misery.
The Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the refugees from Asia Minor, Thrace, Pontus, and other areas of Anatolia, who a century ago were uprooted from their homes and thus arrived in the territories of the Metropolis of Greece bringing their culture, habits, energy, their potential and together with the local inhabitants gave new life to the country and Northern Greece.
Then, the Ecumenical Patriarch held a memorial service at the pier of Nea Michaniona and threw a wreath at the sea in memory of the victims of the dead and refugees of the Asia Minor tragedy.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will attend the offices of the Union of Imvrians of Macedonia and Thrace at 5.30 p.m. on the ninety-fifth anniversary of its foundation and will be honored by its members for the thirty-one years since the assumption of his patriarchal duties.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew blessed the foundations of the Katholikon of the Monastery of Saint Aikaterini in Epanomi
“All monasteries are oases in the desert of the world, of the secularized world” stressed the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, blessing the foundations on Tuesday, 31 May, of the Katholikon of the Monastery of Saint Aikaterini in Epanomi, Greece.
The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his joy for his meeting with the monks, whom he called spiritual children, noting that during his tenure he visited Mount Athos eight times and from time to time various monasteries and other places – among them the Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai – to be spiritually renewed and to draw strength and to continue his pastoral work, and added: “And the monks try to make our Church, our religion, our faith, the world of the world.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Ecumenical Patriarch, with his entourage, boarded a boat from Neous Epivates and was guided by the sea in the lagoons of the municipality of Thermaikos, which are part of the Natura areas, and landed in Nea Michaniona. Then, he attended a dinner hosted by the mayor of Thermaikos, Mr. George Tsamaslis, in Epanomi.
The dinner was attended by the Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs of Greece, responsible for local government issues, Mr. Stelios Petsas, the Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs (Macedonia and Thrace) Mr. Stavros Kalafatis, MPs Costas Gioulekas, Theodoros Karaoglou, Dimitris Vartzopoulos (ND), Leonidas Stoltidis (KKE) and the Minister Konstantina Adamou.
Also present were the mayor of Pylaia – Chortiatis and president of the Regional Council of the Municipality of Central Macedonia, Mr. Ignatios Kaitezidis, the mayor of Kalamaria Mr. Giannis Dardamanelis, the mayor of Ampelokipi – Menemeni, Mr. Lazaros Kyrizoglou, the mayor of Thermi Mr. Theodoros Papadopoulos, executives of the local government, former mayors, Metropolitan Ioustinos of Nea Krini and Kalamaria, Metropolitans and priests and monks of Mount Athos, officials, etc.