The Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women at the Phanar

On the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, 4 May 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Patriarchal and Poly-Hierarchical Divine Liturgy which took place at the venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George, with the concelebration of Their Eminences, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, Metropolitan Irinaios of Myriophytos and Peristasis, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Kydonia, Metropolitan Maximos of Selyvria, Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches and Metropolitan Ioakeim of Bursa.

The holy sermon was preached by His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of Miletus, Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Saint Anastasia Pharmakolytria in Halkidiki.

After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness elevated Hieromonk Fr Ieronymos Sotirelis to the rank of Grand Syncellus of the Holy Great Church of Christ.

The congregation included Their Eminences, Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, and Archbishop Nektarios of Anthidon, Commissioner of the Holy Sepulchre in Constantinople, Their Graces, Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus and Bishop Paisios of Xanthoupolis, Archons of the Great Church of Christ, Mr. Georgios-Spiridon Mamalos, head of the Public Diplomacy Office of the Consulate-General of Greece in Constantinople, as representative of the Consul-General, relatives of the new Grand Syncellus, and a multitude of believers from Constantinople and pilgrims from abroad.

It is recalled that according to an old tradition, every year, on the Sunday of Myrrh-Bearing Women, the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy is celebrated at the historic Holy Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi at Baloukli, which was not possible this year due to technical reasons for which its Catholicon remains closed.

Later in the afternoon, His All-Holiness, with his entourage, made his way to the Holy Monastery and celebrated a Trisagion memorial service at the grave of his ever-remembered predecessor, Patriarch Dimitrios, commemorating all the Patriarchs, Hierarchs and Great Benefactors of the Nation who rest in its courtyard. His All-Holiness then went to the adjacent Second Cemetery of the Monastery where he celebrated a Trisagion for the repose of the souls, “of our fathers and brothers, whose names the Lord knows.”

Photographs: Nikos Papachristou