New Year’s Eve at the Ecumenical Patriarchate
On Tuesday, 31 December 2024, New Year’s Eve, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew officiated at the Great Vespers, together with the Venerable Metropolitans, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Demetrios of Princes’ Islands, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, His Eminence Metropolitan Irenaeus of Myriophytos and Peristasis, His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra, His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos, His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Kydonia, His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of Adrianoupolis, His Eminence Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches, His Eminence Metropolitan Ioakeim of Bursa and His Eminence Metropolitan Theodore of Seleucia.
Also present and joined in prayer were Their Graces, Bishop Adrianos of Hallicarnassus, Bishop Kassianos of Aravissos, Bishop Ambrosios of Evdokiada, Bishop Benjamin of Tralee and Bishop Paisios of Xanthoupolis, the Consul, Ms. Athanasia Iliaki, on behalf of the Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, the Consul of Ukraine, Mr. Maksim Vdovychenko, and a multitude of believers.
Afterwards, His All-Holiness successively received at the Patriarchal Office the wishes of the Hierarchs and members, clergy and laity, of the Patriarchal Court and the other staff of the Patriarchate.
During the festive meal at the Patriarchal table, where the Hierarchs of the Throne were seated, the gold coin of the Vasilopita was found by His Eminence Metropolitan Theoliptos of Iconium.
Subsequently, His All-Holiness, in the Throne Room, blessed the traditional Vasilopita and distributed it to all the clergy and faithful present from Constantinople and abroad.
Immediately afterwards, students of the Patriarchal Great School of the Nation sang New Year’s carols, continuing a beautiful tradition of the Greek Diaspora.
Photographs: Nikos Papachristou
