Kastoria: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Memorial Service for the Legendary Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, 16 February 2025, the fifth day of the Third Karavangelia, Divine services were held in memory of the legendary Metropolitan of Kastoria, Germanos Karavangelis, at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Kastoria.

Participating in the events as a representative of His All-Holiness, the Archbishop of New Rome of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, was His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria, who is also the successor of Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis, as he reposed in Vienna as Metropolitan of Amaseia and Exarch of Central Europe.

On Sunday morning, the Matins Service took place and then the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated with His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria, presiding, and being joined in concelebration by Their Eminences, Metropolitan Ierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, and Metropolitan David of Grevena, His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Tanagra, and the local Metropolitan Kallinikos of Kastoria.

The Divine Liturgy was attended by local authorities, representatives of organisations and representatives of the Armed Forces and Security Forces. Also, the Association of “Descendants of Macedonian Fighters”, as well as children dressed in their traditional costumes from the Music and Philology Association “Armonia” and a multitude of believers.

The Holy Sermon was preached by the presiding Hierarch, Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Hierarchical Memorial Service was held in memory of the Metropolitan of Kastoria Germanos Karavangelis, who fell asleep on 11 February 1935, but also for all the Late Metropolitans of Kastoria.

In the centre of the Church, along with the Koliva, the mitre and the photograph of the legendary Hierarch were placed and were “surrounded” by traditionally dressed children.

At the end of the Memorial Service, His Eminence Metropolitan Kallinikos of Kastoria, said the following:

“With today’s Hierarchical Liturgy, the events for the Third Karavangelia culminate – but do not end – which were dedicated to the great emperor of New Rome – Constantinople, the saint of our Church, the founder of Hagia Sophia, and author of the hymn to the Holy Wisdom of God, “The Only Begotten Son and Word of God”, the one who established the Greek language as the language of the Empire, the founder of our Kastoria, which was destined to remain throughout the centuries until today in the Greek-Christian tradition and to be the pride of Macedonia, the living “Byzantine” noble-town.

His legacy, the Greek Orthodox tradition and its glorious history, guides us and needs appropriate cultivation, promotion and visibility.

We, as a Church, continue to worship the Incarnate Only-Begotten Son and Word of God, the Wisdom of God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the same and unchanging faith, in the Churches that were erected during the period of the Christian empire, with the same divine Liturgy, with the same hymns and in the same language of the Gospels, the Fathers and the Ecumenical Councils.

And at the same time, we strive, as a Church, to alleviate the toil and pain of modern people, through structures of a social nature, with the cooperation of the State, Local Government and social workers.

At this blessed hour of the Hierarchical Liturgy and the Memorial for my Predecessor Hierarchs, I feel the need to say a great thank you and express my gratitude.

Of course, I am grateful for the speakers and the general contributors of the events, I have expressed it on occasion and will express it again in writing and publicly, once the events are over.

Here I want to say a big thank you to the Holy Hierarchs who participated today in the Hierarchical Liturgy, within the framework of the events for the Third Karavangelia and for the Memorial of all the Metropolitans of Kastoria.

Let me first thank His All-Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for sending us His Eminence and beloved Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria, the illustrious Hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne in the heart of Europe, as his representative, who brightened our events with his presence and his words. The words of his sermon and the words of his speech offered at the gathering of the General Philoptochos in the afternoon. His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria, who is also the successor of the legendary Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis, who passed away in Vienna as Metropolitan of Amaseia and Exarch of Central Europe.

His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, because generously granted us the new Mental Health Structure, sent us his blessed greetings for our events and sent us his assistant, His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Tanagra and beloved brother in Christ, who, although he lives between Athens and Brussels, loves and accepts our bordering Eparchy.

His Eminence Metropolitan Ierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, the wise, prudent and theologian Hierarch of our Church, who guides us with his theological, clear, firm, knowledgeable and pure word and his example.

His Eminence Metropolitan David of Grevena, dear neighbour, who honours us with his presence today and brightens the Hierarchical Liturgy.

Their Eminences, Metropolitan Pavlos of Kozani, Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis and Metropolitan Athanasios of Sisanion and Siatista, gratitude for their participation in the various events of the Third Karavangelia.

And I would like to express my gratitude and ask for the blessings of all the Predecessor Metropolitans of Kastoria, who transmitted as spiritual torchbearers the Grace of Pentecost until our days and worked selflessly for the freedom, cultivation and prosperity of the Vine of the Church of Kastoria.

Above all, I would like to express my gratitude, which is the gratitude of all Kastorians, all Macedonians, all Greeks, to the legendary Metropolitan of Kastoria Germanos Karavangelis, 90 years since his repose, for his great contribution to the Freedom of the Homeland and for the precious and most important legacy he left to the Holy Metropolis of Kastoria.

I ask the Holy Hierarchs present here and I pray to my Holy Predecessors, the Chief Shepherds of Kastoria, that the Great Hierarch bless the poor Shepherd of Kastoria and its pious Flock.”

After the end of the Memorial Service, the Metropolitans and all those who attended the service went to the courtyard of the holy bishopric, where the mosaic monument of Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis dominates, and his sacred bones are kept.

After the memorial, wreaths were laid, first by his successor, Metropolitan Kallinikos of Kastoria, and then by the Member of Parliament of Kastoria, Ms. Maria Antoniou, by the Deputy Governor of the Regional Government of Kastoria, Mr. Dimitrios Savvopoulos, by the Mayor of Kastoria, Mr. Ioannis Korentsidis, by the representative of the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, Commander of the 9th Mechanised Brigade, Brigadier Anastasios Vassiliou, by the Police Director, Mr. Nikolaos Exarchos, by the Commander of the Fire Service, Mr. Dimitrios Papoutsidis, by the President of the Descendants of the Macedonian Fighters, Mr. Petros Apostolidis, and by the President of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle of Kastoria, Mr. Markos Latsios.

Then, four children read on behalf of all the children two poems dedicated to the legendary Metropolitan, a minute of silence was observed and the National Anthem and the hymn «Τη Υπερμάχω / To you, the champion Commander» were sung.