“The Ecumenical Patriarchate is struggling, amidst much confusion and reversals, to safeguard the Faith of the Holy Fathers, the doctrinal worship of God, and the ecclesiastical ethic, giving this testimony of love to the neighbour,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his speech after the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Demetrios in Xyloporta on Sunday.
As the Ecumenical Patriarch stated, “the Great Church of Christ expresses the Orthodox spirit, free from the barren conservatism, the fundamentalism and the rejection of the principle of dialogue with the modern world.”
He added that it was a dangerous illusion to believe that caring for ourselves and our needs would fill the existential void and would give meaning to our life and answers to our major existential concerns.
Earlier, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to Glorious Great-martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher of Thessalonica, in whose honour five churches operate in Constantinople.
“This temple has its history. This temple was the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for a few years and reminds us of the adventures of the Holy and Great Church of Christ when it was forced to abandon its historic seat and become a pawn at the mercy of those in power.”
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the presence of hundreds of pilgrims from Greece.
“Your Patriarch is always praying for you. May God bless and protect the children of the Mother Church from all over the world. May God guide them on the right path and bestow upon them the peace from above.”
Metropolitans Chrysostomos of Myra and Athinagoras of Kydonies, the outgoing Greek Ambassador to Ankara, Petros Mavroidis, the Consul General of Ukraine in Constantinople, Oleksandr Gaman, and hundreds faithful from Constantinople and pilgrims from all over Greece attended the Divine Liturgy.
Then the Ecumenical Patriarch held a private meeting with Ambassador Petros Mavroidis at the Patriarchal Office in the Phanar, whom the Ecumenical Patriarch thanked for his interest in the issues of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek diaspora. The Ecumenical Patriarch hosted an official farewell luncheon to honour the outgoing ambassador.
