On Friday, March 29, 2024, a significant religious gathering took place at the venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George in the Phanar, Istanbul. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was present in prayer during the Service of the Second Stanza of the Salutations to the Theotokos.
Leading the service from the parathrone, a seat of honor, was His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia. The sacred homily, a sermon delivered during the service, was presented by Archimandrite Kaisarios Chronis, the Archivist of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Adding to the solemnity of the occasion were a large number of faithful believers from Constantinople itself, as well as many pilgrims who had journeyed from overseas to witness the service. Joining them in prayer was His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Konstantinos Koutras, the Consul General of Greece in Constantinople.
Earlier that same day, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew officiated at the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, a special liturgy held during Lent. In the afternoon, a Trisagion memorial service was conducted by the Patriarch to honor the late Archimandrite Patrikios Kaleodis, a graduate of the Theological School of Halki.
(Photos: Nikos Papachristou)
