Patriarchal Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Church of Saint Nicholas of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens
On the Sunday of the Paralytic, 11 May 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy which took place at the Church of Saint Nicholas of the Poor-house, in Kolonaki, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its construction. The beautiful post-Byzantine Church of the Merciful Society of Athens, which was built by the donations of the benefactor Mr. Andreas Syngrou, was transferred to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2023.
His All-Holiness was joined in concelebration by Their Eminences, Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Metropolitan Ioakeim of Bursa.
On behalf of the Shepherd of the city of Athens, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos of Thavmakos, was present.
Also present for the Divine Liturgy were, His Eminence Metropolitan Georgios of Guinea, representative of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria in Athens, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Their Eminences, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Dodoni, Metropolitan Apostolos of Miletus, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, Director of the Representative Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Diosopolis, Metropolitan Dionysios of Zakynthos, Metropolitan Iakovos of Ireland, Metropolitan Gregorios of Peristeri, and His Grace Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria, Archons of the Great Church of Christ, lead by Archon Exarchos and Ecumenical Great Benefactor, Mr. Athanasios Martinos, President of the Brotherhood of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate “Panagia Pammakaristos”, The President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr Nikitas Kaklamanis, the Ministers of the Greek Government, Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias, and Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ms. Niki Kerameus, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Mr. Matthew Lodge, the Mayor of Athens, Mr. Harris Doukas, the Secretary General of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Ms. Maira Myrogianni, members of parliament, academics, and a multitude of believers who filled the Church and its courtyard.
His All-Holiness was addressed with warm words and obvious emotion by His Eminence Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea.
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed his gratitude to His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, and to all those who contributed to the granting of the Holy Church of Saint Nicholas to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He made particular reference to this year’s 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in Bithynia, which had also determined the day of Easter celebration. His All-Holiness referred to the effort he had begun with the late Pope Francis to determine a common date for the celebration of Easter, and expressed the wish for the new Pope Leo XIV to show the same interest.
“The year we are living, as you know, marks, my beloved, the completion of seventeen hundred years since the convocation of the Holy First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea. Constantinople was not yet ready as the new Capital of the Empire, and that ambitious Emperor, the Father of the Romiosyni, Saint Constantine, who, by reason of justice and as an Equal-to-the-Apostles, was later recognised, convened in Nicaea of Bithynia the Synod of the Holy 318 God-bearing Fathers, in order to confront the terrible heresy of Arius and other minor heresies. such as that of the Sabellians, the Novatians and the Paulians or Samosatians, as well as the Melitian Schism. The pure fruit of the Council is the sacred Creed (its first seven articles), known as the Nicene Creed, which was later supplemented by the Holy Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople and is now known as the Nicene-Constantinople Creed and constitutes an immovable foundation of piety.
Another fruit is the twenty Holy Canons issued, as well as the decision on the date of the celebration of Pascha, which put an end to the confusion and diversity that had existed until then. Based on this, which the Eastern Orthodox Church has always adhered to without fail, we share the desire with the late Pope Francis that the West should also adapt, so that not only there may be harmony, as is the case with Christmas, but also to avoid many of the problems faced by families from mixed marriages, especially in the Diaspora around the world. A successful example is the one in force in Greece, where, with the permission of the Vatican, the faithful of the Roman Catholic Church celebrate Easter together with the Orthodox and there is complete harmony, without the slightest doctrinal confusion or liturgical collaboration, despite the irresponsible empty talk heard by some suspicious people. We hope that the successor of the late Pope Francis, the new Pope Leo XIV of Rome, will also be possessed by the same desire and thus we will be able to proceed to a relevant understanding and decision. In any case, the Holy First Ecumenical Council constitutes a fundamental and eternal guide of Faith both for the pious East and for the Roman Catholic West, and even for the most conservative Protestant sects. There is always much to give to the Church, to those who are “led by the Spirit of God,” and to the whole world.”
After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch lead a Trisagion memorial service for the repose of the soul of the Late maria Konstantoudaki-Kitromilidou, and then conferred the Office of Archon Protekdikos of the Holy Great Church of Christ on Mr. Leonidas Maravelis, Lawyer, associate of the Representative Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Athens.
In the afternoon His All-Holiness made his way to Boeotia, where he was hosted by His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, while Monday at noon he will depart by plane from Athens airport for Constantinople.
Photographs: Nikos Papachristou
Photograph of the unveiling of the commemorative plaque: Christos Bonis
