Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered a homily after the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas at the Patriarchal Cathedral, during which he celebrates his name
The Ecumenical Patriarch stressed that this year, due to special circumstances, he celebrated “as a family,” with the Hierarchs of the Throne, the members of the Patriarchal Court, the diplomatic representatives of Greece and Ukraine, and the small flock of Constantinople.
“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your presence and your wishes and prayers, and I offer you my patriarchal blessing, full and undivided, always invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit, the celebrated Apostles and the 300 Chinese Orthodox who were martyred today, 120 years ago, under the leadership of St. Mitrophanes, for their holy faith in Christ.”
All the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne, Archbishop Nektarios of Anthedona (Commissioner of the Holy Sepulcher in Constantinople), the Ambassadors of Greece and of Ukraine to Ankara, Michael Christos Diamesis and Andrii Sybiha, the Consuls General of Greece and of Ukraine in Constantinople, Georgia Sultanopoulou and Oleksandr Gaman, Archons of the Great Church of Christ, clergy and faithful from Constantinople attended the Divine Liturgy, always respecting precautionary measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Primates, heads of state, prime ministers and political leaders, ministers, hierarchs and many others sent their wishes to the Ecumenical Patriarch, in writing and by telephone.
