Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia completed his fourth pastoral visit to Iceland from Friday, December 3, 2021, until Monday, December 6, 2021, in the context of his interest and pastoral care for the flock of the Mother Church of Constantinople in the Nordic countries.
On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, the Metropolitan of Sweden accompanied by Archimandrite Alexandros Loukatos, Head of the Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation in Oslo, toured the city of Reykjavik, where he had the pleasure of talking to Greeks who have been active in this hospitable country for the last few years.
On Saturday night, the two clergymen attended a dinner hosted by the Honorary Consul of Greece in Iceland, Rafn Alexander Sigurdsson, and his wife Anna Juliana Sveinsdottir.
The dinner was also attended by the Head of the Lutheran Church of Iceland, Agnes M Sigurdardottir, the Director of the Department of Theological Studies at the University of Iceland, Solveig Anna Bóasdóttir, Pastor of the Russian Parish in Reykjavik Presbyter Timur Zolotuskiy, the former teacher at the Isafjordur music school Sigridur Ragnarsdottir, her husband Jónas Tómasson, composer, and Karitas Mitrogogos.
On Sunday, December 5, 2021, the Metropolitan presided over the Divine Liturgy, which was performed in the chapel of the University of Iceland, with the participation of Fr. Alexander. In his speech, the Metropolitan of Sweden referred to the importance of the participation of the faithful in the worship life of the Church: “We gather in the temple to pray, to receive strength and spiritual stimulation. Our meeting has deeper content. It reveals the gathering of God’s people and the revelation of the secret Body of Christ, which is His Church”.
The Metropolitan then thanked the officials of the University of Iceland, Alexander Sigurdsson for his full support in the organization of the visit to Reykjavik, Fr. Alexander, and all those who participated in this meeting.
The synaxis was attended by the Head of the Lutheran Church of Iceland, Agnes M Sigurdardottir, Sigurdsson with his family, Evangelos Dimitropoulos, President of the Hellenic Association of Iceland, and members of the Parish of St. Apostle Bartholomew Reykjavik.
Afterwards, the Metropolitan of Sweden had a meeting with members of the Greek Diaspora, to be informed about the spiritual progress of the parish and the activities of our brothers in Iceland, to whom he announced that he would visit, God willing, again in Reykjavik, together with Fr. Alexander, on the Sunday, March 6, 2022, in view of Lent, and on Sunday, June 5, 2022, on the occasion of the upcoming feast of the Apostle Bartholomew, patron of the parish.
The photographic material is an offer of Messrs. Rafn Alexander Sigurdsson, Karitas Mitrogogos, and of the Holy Metropolis of Sweden.