The Feast Day of the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, Phanar

In a Paschal atmosphere and with great reverence, on Wednesday of Bright Week, 23 April 2025, the Venerable Patriarchal Church celebrated the memory of its patron Saint, Saint Great the Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was present and joined in prayer at the Poly-Hierarchical Divine Liturgy which was presided over by His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, and who was joined in concelebration by Their Eminences, Metropolitan Irinaios of Myriophytos and Peristasis and Metropolitan Ioakeim of Bursa.

During the Divine Liturgy, the customary blessing of the five loaves (Artoklasia) took place for the beloved children of the Holy Great Church of Christ in America, but also throughout the world.

After the Dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness addressed the congregation and in particular a group of pilgrims led by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Linz, His Grace Bishop Manfred Scheuer. In his address, he referred to the death of the late Pope Francis, their fraternal and friendly relationship, as well as their cooperation on ecological and social issues. His All-Holiness then distributed traditional red Paschal eggs to the congregation.

Also present were Their Eminences, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra and Metropolitan Theodoros of Seleucia, Their Graces, Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus and Bishop Smaragdos of Daphnusia, Their Eminences Roman Catholic Archbishop’s Giuseppe Satriano of Bari και Bitonto and Maurizio Aloise of Rossano και Cariati, with clergy from their ecclesiastical provinces, Archons of the Great Church of Christ and many faithful believers.

At noon, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed the table set out in Marasleion School, at which he invited solitary Greeks of the city of Constantinople to join, to celebrate with their spiritual father, in a Paschal atmosphere, the feast of Saint George.

Photographs: Nikos Papachristou