“Great is the cross of responsibility that the Ecumenical Patriarch bears towards Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Peoples”

At the Holy Metropolis of Patras, the Heroes and Martyrs of the siege of Constantinople were honoured, honouring first and foremost the martyred Emperor of Constantinople Constantine Paleologos, who fell on the ramparts of the Queen of Cities.

The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras, who spoke timely, about the sad anniversary of the fall of Constantinople, about the events before the fall of that day, about the terrible and horrible destruction under the barbaric Ottoman Turks and about the aftermath, the martyrdoms, the persecutions and raids, the slave markets and conversions to Islam and most other horrible sufferings suffered by the Orthodox Peoples during the 400 and for some areas 500 years of Turkish slavery.

He also referred to the pillars and cores of the Orthodox Nation that supported and enlightened this people during the bitter years of Turkish slavery, namely the Church and the family, which kept faith in God, love for the Motherland, language and tradition alive.

He spoke about those who lifted and are lifting the heavy cross of responsibility towards Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Peoples, from the first post-fall Patriarch, Gennadius Scholarios, to the current Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who together with the few, but so many and great, guards a spiritual Thermopylae and with the eternal lamp illuminates from the eternally-shinning Phanar the whole Ecumene.

“It is our collective duty, clergy and laity, to keep now and moving forward, the treasures of our Orthodox Nation, as bequeathed to us by our Heroes and Martyrs, and to be ready, if necessary, to sacrifice our lives for them”, His Eminence said and then emphasised: “Those who plotted against our homeland were enriched, but behold the countless multitudes of those who love it, those who fight for its glory and honour. A multitude of athletes and torchbearers with young pioneers, who light up the dark streets with morals and competitive and enthusiastic vigour and spirit”.

After His Eminence’s address, the Holy Memorial was held for the blessed memory and eternal rest of Constantine Palaiologos and all those who fought valiantly and heroically fell, on the ramparts of the Capital City in 1453, and the martyrs of the Turkish atrocities after that.

At the end of the memorial, the Greek National Anthem was sung by all who were in attendance.

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