With a simple ceremony, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blessed Metropolitan Ioannis of Lagadas, Litis and Rentinis, was led to his last residence, in the chapel of the precinct of the metropolitan church in Lagadas, Thessaloniki.
The Deputy Minister of Interior (Macedonia and Thrace), Theodoros Karaoglou and the Mayor of Lagadas, Ioannis Tachmatzidis were present at the funeral service, which took place in the metropolitan church of Saint Paraskevi, in the presence of only nine people inside the temple.
The blessed Metropolitan was farewelled with warm words by Metropolitan Dimitrios of Metres and Athyra, representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and vicar of the metropolis of Lagadas and Metropolitan Theologos of Serres.
“My dear brother Ioannis, communication with you has always been pleasant. It was an occasion for a common spiritualism, as we shared common visions, common concerns and especially our love for our mother Church, who is the nurturer and savior of our nation. Yesterday was a bitter day for me, as well as for the people of the metropolis and for those who really loved you”, said Metropolitan Theologos at the funeral.
“His memory will be indelible in our hearts, in our souls. May the soil of his beloved land lie lightly on him”, said the Deputy Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, referring to the personality and work of the blessed Metropolitan. “He had created institutions; he had created a series of structures, so that there is coverage of a series of social problems that the region was facing. He was always in the front line,” he stressed.
“Great sorrow, heavy mourning, unfilled the gap left by our pastor”, said the Mayor of Lagadas I. Tachmatzidis and added: “He was an exuberant personality, with a huge pastoral and cultural work in the Diocese of Lagadas. His legacy is huge.”
The 62-year-old Metropolitan succumbed after being infected with COVID-19 and being hospitalized for the last two days at Papageorgiou Hospital in Thessaloniki. As his close friend, Apostolos Chatzitolios, professor of Medicine at the Pathology Clinic of the hospital, pointed out in his statements the Metropolitan belonged to the vulnerable groups, while he was also feverish for a week.
Source: ANA-MPA