Presentation of anniversary stamps for the 100 years of Autonomy of the Church of Estonia
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On Thursday afternoon, 14 September 2023, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia, attended an event organised by the country’s Postal Service in a hall of the Tallinn Opera House, during which the anniversary issue of stamps for the centenary of the Autonomy of the Church of Estonia were presented.
The series of stamps were presented by Mr. Mart Mägi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Omniva, the Estonian Postal Service, who presented the Ecumenical Patriarch and Primate of the Church of Estonia with special commemorative editions of the first day of the stamps’ circulation.
It should be noted that the section of the four stamps depicts His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for having made a decisive contribution to the reconstitution of the Autonomous Church of Estonia in 1996, and His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn and all Estonia, current Primate of the local Church, as well as the venerable Ecumenical Patriarch Meletios IV (Metaxakis), who granted the Autonomous status, in 1923, and the first Primate of the Church of Estonia, blessed Metropolitan Alexander.
The event was attended by Hierarchs, clergy, Mr. Mart Laar, former Prime Minister of Estonia, with whom the Patriarch had a brief meeting in person, and other officials.
Visits to the Embassies of Greece and Turkey
Earlier in the afternoon, the Ecumenical Patriarch made successive visits to the Embassies of Greece and Turkey in Tallinn, where he was warmly welcomed by both Ambassadors Mr. George Papadopoulos and Ms. Başak Türkoğlu, surrounded by their co-workers.
In the evening of the same day, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Orthodox Church of Estonia hosted an official dinner, which was honoured with the presence of the President of the Republic of Estonia, Mr. Alar Karis with the First Lady Sirje Karis, diplomats of foreign states and a host of other officials.
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