Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Athens

During his stay in Athens, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received several notable visitors at his residence. Among them were Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Dodoni, President of the Synodal Office of Pilgrimage Tours of the Church of Greece, accompanied by Archimandrite Spyridon Katramados, Secretary of the same Office, as well as Metropolitan Efstathios of Monemvasia and Sparta, along with his assistant, Bishop Theophilos of Lacedaemonia. Additionally, the Mayor of Sparta, Michail Vakalopoulos, and the Rector of the University of the Peloponnese, Athanasios Katsis, were present in light of the upcoming Patriarchal visit to Sparta scheduled for November.

The Ecumenical Patriarch also welcomed Greek government ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, National Defense Minister Nikolaos Dendias, Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, accompanied by the General Secretary of Religious Affairs Georgios Kalantzis, as well as Minister of  Labour and Social Insurance of Greece, Ms. Niki Kerameus, and Minister of State Mr. Akis Skertsos. Their meetings, held in a positive atmosphere and focused on matters of mutual interest.

In addition, Patriarch Bartholomew received Queen Anne-Marie, accompanied by Prince Paul and Princess Alexia. It is worth noting the long-standing friendship between the Patriarch and the late King Constantine, as well as the deep respect and devotion shown by his family to the Mother Church of Constantinople. During the meeting, the Patriarch congratulated Queen Anna Maria on the recent marriage of her daughter, Princess Theodora.

On the afternoon of 30 September, shortly before his return to Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch attended a luncheon hosted in his honour by the President and members of the Board of Directors of the Brotherhood of Archons of the Great Church of Christ, known as “Panagia Pammakaristos.”

Photos by Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate