Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou attended the annual celebratory liturgy for the new year at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens led by Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece on Monday, New Year’s Day.
Sakellaropoulou was accorded honours by the Armed Forces and security forces, who also sang the national anthem. She inspected the forces lined up outside the cathedral and was welcomed in it by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Parliament President Constantine Tassoulas, new Attica Region Governor Nikos Hardalias, new Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, and Archimandrite Varnavas Theocharis of the Holy Synod.
Also attending the service were several ministers, party leaders, chiefs of the Armed Forces and security forces, the president of Greece’s Supreme Court, and the president of the Hellenic Court of Audit.
Following the liturgy, the archbishop, other religious and spiritual leaders, and the political and military leaders were received by President Sakellaropoulou at the Presidential Mansion for the annual well-wishing to her. 15 SOS Children’s Villages children also attended this year’s event.
The children, aged 12-13, and the president paid a visit on foot to the presidential guard (the Evzones) to wish them well. General Elias Karmiris, who welcomed them, explained how the guard operates to the children.
They then cut the New Year’s cake (vassilopita), in which the children’s organisation won the lucky coin.
READ MORE: Palmos Analysis poll: New Democracy lead voting intentions, SYRIZA is 3rd behind PASOK.