The First Clergy Synaxis of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia
On November 10, 2022, at the Holy Church of the Apostle Paul in Side, the first synaxis of the clergy of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia took place. It was preceded by a Divine Liturgy performed by the new Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, with co-celebrants His Grace Bishop Ambrosios of Eudokia, the priests and the deacon of the God-saving Province.
In the message sent by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Synaxis, He emphasised, among other things, the following: “We consider the fact that this Synaxis is being held in the Holy Church of the Apostle Paul Sidis to be full of deep symbolism”. because “The Apostle of the Nations is the great missionary of Christ and the preacher of His Gospel, whom your blessed predecessor Metropolitan Sotirios greatly respected and admired, and about whom he wrote a most beautiful book, which was also translated into the Turkish language”.His All-Holiness also reminded that “the ministers of God’s people do not wait for the faithful to come to us, but we seek them and approach them with love”.
His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, emphasised that, according to Saint Ignatius of Antioch, “a presbyter worthy of God is thus joined to the bishop like the strings of a harp […] so that they are harmonious beings in unity, receiving the colour of God in unity”. His Eminence Metropolitan Job referred to the personality of his predecessor, blessed Metropolitan Sotirios, whom he presented as a model for the pastoral and missionary work of the historical Metropolis of Pisidia.
Then, he invited the clergy of the Metropolis to discuss with parsonage the issues related to the conducting of the holy services, the holy mysteries, the catechism of children, adults and those coming to the Orthodox faith, issues related to the use of mass media and social networks, the reception of those fleeing to the region from Ukraine and Russia due to the war.
The discussions of the synaxis were held in a friendly atmosphere and ended with a joint dinner.
