The Feast Day of Epiphany celebrated with great splendour at the Phanar
On Saturday, 6 January 2024, with due ecclesiastical splendour and magnificence, the Great Feast of the Holy Epiphany was celebrated at the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, after the matins service, during which he officiated, conducted the service of the Great Blessing of the Waters, and following this presided over the Divine Liturgy, in which he was joined by Their Eminences, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, Metropolitan Eirinaios of Myriophytos and Peristasis, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra, Metropolitan Theoliptos of Iconium, Metropolitan George of Guinea and Metropolitan Joachim of Bursa.
During the feast day Divine Liturgy, the ordination to the Priesthood of Deacon Andreas and ordination to the Diaconate of Monk Ephraim took place, who are both from the brotherhood of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of the Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner in Essex, Great Britain.
Prior to their ordinations, His All-Holiness addressed both clerics with paternal words and exhortations.
Present for the Great Feast Day were the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Mr. Georgios Kotsiras, representing the Greek Government, the President of the SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance Political Party Mr. Stefanos Kasselakis, the President of PASOK – Movement for Change Political Party Mr. Nikos Androulakis, the Ambassador His Excellency Mr. Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, Mr. Roman Nedilskyi, Consul General of Ukraine, Mr. Emmanuel Kefalogiannis, Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Evangelos Apostolakis and Mr. Vasilios Kokkalis, members of the Greek Parliament, and a multitude of faithful from Constantinople and pilgrims from abroad.
After the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Hierarchs, the esteemed guests and officials, and the faithful people made their way in procession to the waterfront of the Phanar where His All-Holiness presided over the service of the throwing of the Holy Cross in the Golden Horn.
In the blue waters of Golden Horn, more than 40 people from Constantinople, Greece and abroad dived, and the Holy Cross was retrieved by Mr. Konstantinos Kypros, from Alexandroupolis, to whom the Ecumenical Patriarch offered a golden cross as a blessing, while he blessed all the other swimmers, to whom he offered small gifts along with his paternal wishes and blessings.
A reception followed in the Throne Room of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, after which His All-Holiness received the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Kotsiras in a private meeting, who conveyed to the Mother Church the wishes of the Greek Government.
Photographs: Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate
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