On the morning of Sunday, January 28, 2024, at the St. George Cathedral of Stockholm, following the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, who presided over the Divine Liturgy, having as cocelebrants the Cathedral Pastor, the V. Rev. Archimandrite Bartholomew Iatridis, and the V. Rev. Archimandrite Antonios Elbitar, Vicar of the Patriarchate of Antioch in Sweden.
Before the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated in Greek, Swedish, English and Arabic, Metropolitan Cleopas appropriately addressed Fr. Antonios, to whom he conveyed the paternal wishes of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and assured him of the continuation of their blessed cooperation, for the good of Christ’s flock, and wished him every success in his ministry.
Afterwards, Fr. Antonios responded to His Eminence, whom he thanked for his love and hospitality, emphasized on the ecumenical dimension of Orthodoxy, conveyed the greetings of His Beatitude Patriarch John I of Antioch, and offered an icon of the Virgin Mary of Antioch as a gift.
