Ceremony Reaffirms Enduring Ties Between Jerusalem and Constantinople

Despite the recent belligerence of Moscow,the bonds between the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople were unequivocally reaffirmed as the Ecumenical Patriarchate's foremost lay associate,Mr.Panteleimon Vigkas,was honoured by the Jerusalem Patriarchate at an evening ceremony on 22 October 2018 in its Metochion,or ecclesiastical embassy,on the Bosporus in Istanbul,Turkey.At the Metochion's Church of St.George Neochori,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople invested Mr.Vigkas,who holds the title Archon Chartophilakas of the Great Church of Christ,with the honour Crusader of the Panaghian Tomb,rewarding Mr.Vigkas for his Merit of Mercy to the Holy Sepulchre on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine.*
Representing the Jerusalem Patriarchate was His Eminence Archbishop Nektarios of Anthidona,Greece,Commissioner of the Holy Sepulchre.Patriarch Bartholomew also presided at the Vespers of St.James the Brother of God,First Bishop of Jerusalem,at the Metochion Church that evening.*
Mr.Vigkas is seldom far from Patriarch Bartholomew's side.He serves as President of the Imvros Educational and Cultural Association,which celebrates the heritage of Imvros,Patriarch Bartholomew's  home island,now known as Gokceada,Turkey.