On the Fourth Sunday of Lent (St. John the Ladder), March 30, 2025, teachers and students from schools in Thessaloniki and Patras who participated in the 2nd Student Environmental Conference in Constantinople attended a Divine Liturgy at the Holy Metropolitan Church of St. Paraskevi Therapia. Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi presided over the service.
Among those present were Mr. Christos Roubidis, Director of Secondary Education of Western Thessaloniki; Dr. Polyvios Strantzalis, President of the Association of Constantinopolitans of Northern Greece; and Mrs. Alexandra Diamantopoulou, Principal of the General Lyceum of Vrachneika, Patras.
The Metropolitan greeted the teachers and students, congratulating them on their participation in the conference, and spoke about the significant initiatives and actions of the Mother Church and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew regarding the issue of the ecological crisis: “Our Ecumenical Patriarchate has recognized the seriousness of the environmental crisis and has taken significant initiatives to contribute to the spread of ecological awareness and the protection of our planet.”
He further emphasized: “His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, internationally known as the “Green Patriarch” for his long-standing commitment to environmental issues, has led countless ecological initiatives, seminars, international conferences and dialogues with universities, research centers, other Christian denominations, and religions.”
He concluded his speech by urging young people to dedicate their lives to protecting the environment: “As young people, you have the power to shape the future. As heirs of this world, you must preserve it, protect it, and love it.
He wished the educators strength in their demanding work and sent blessings to all for the rest of the journey toward Holy Easter.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
