On the afternoon of Friday, 26 September, at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Sydney, the Service of the Great Message (Megalo Minyma) of Bishops-elect Athinagoras of Canberra and Christophoros of Kerasounta, was celebrated.
During the Service, the election of the two new Bishops of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia was solemnly proclaimed before the Church, and they responded with the text of Thanksgiving, accepting the “mandate.”
The newly elected Bishops, chosen unanimously by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, received the congratulations and best wishes of their Shepherd, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, together with the assembled Hierarchs, clergy, and the faithful who filled the Cathedral.
Present at the Service were His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of Miletus, Abbot of the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint Anastasia Pharmakolytria in Chalkidiki, who is in Australia as the representative of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the forthcoming 2nd Pan-Australian Clergy Synaxis; as well as the visiting Hierarchs: Metropolitans Ignatios of Demetrias and Almyros, Gregorios of Cameroon, Ioustinos of Nea Krini and Kalamaria, Myron of New Zealand, and Damaskinos of Aetolia and Acarnania.
Also present were Bishops Elpidios of Perth, Silouan of Adelaide, Kyriakos of Melbourne, Evmenios of Chora, and Bartholomew of Brisbane, members of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia; Bishops Iakovos of Miletoupolis and Christodoulos of Magnesia; Archimandrite Ignatios Mourtzanos, Protosyncellus of the Holy Metropolis of Larissa and Tyrnavos; Hieromonk Chrysostomos, Elder of the Kellion of Saint John Chrysostom of the Koutloumousiou Skete on Mount Athos; Patriarchal Deacon Photios Poulopoulos; the clergy of the Orthodox Church in Australia; representatives of organisations, institutions, and schools; and a large assembly of faithful.
Following the Service of the Great Message, Great Vespers was celebrated, with Archbishop Makarios presiding.
