Patriarch Bartholomew Heeds Pope's Call to Prayer

On 25 March 2020, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew heeded the call of His Holiness Pope Francis to recite the Our Father at noon.The Pope made the request of Christian leaders worldwide to join in common prayer for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.*
Patriarch Bartholomew entered the Patriarchate Chapel of St.Andrew and lit a candle.Facing West before the iconostasis,he recited the Our Father in Greek with a handful of clerics who are on staff at the Fanar, the Patriarchal compound in Constantinople.*
This was followed by His All-Holiness' remarks in Italian.He had earlier presided the Divine Liturgy of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in the Patriarchal Church of St.George.*
The Chapel of St. Andrew is bright, featuring a golden, abbreviated iconostasis with two Western-style icons on either side the Royal Doors.*

Patriarch Bartholomew Receives North Macedonia Leader

On 13 January 2013,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received the Acting Prime Minister of North Macedonia,Oliver Spasovski,along with former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev,at the Fanar,the Patriarchal compound in Constantinople.They were seeking the Patriarch's advice on resolving the ecclesiastical problem in North Macedonia,namely,that the country's Orthodox Church,the Archbishopric of Ohrid,is not recognised by the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches.*
In a statement,the Ecumenical Patriarchate said the meeting covered the history of the problem,leading up to the current request for the canonical reinstatement of the Archbishopric of Ohrid,upon appeal to the Mother Church,Constantinople.It was agreed that a delegation from the Church of Serbia be invited to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to meet with a delegation from the Archbishopric of Ohrid for consultation leading to a mutually agreed solution.*
The atmosphere of today's talks was described as having been warm and sincere.The North Macedonia leaders had previously expressed their respect and admiration for the Mother Church.*
Among those attending the meeting from the Ecumenical Patriarchate side were His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France;His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Silivria;His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of Adrianople;the Very Rev. Archimandrite Joakim,chief secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod;and Archon Mr.Konstantinos Delikostandis,Professor Emeritus of the University of Athens.

Episcopal Consecration of Astoria's Abbot Ierotheos Scheduled

The consecration to the episcopacy of the Rt.Rev Archimandrite Ierotheos Zacharis,Abbot of the Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of St.Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria,New York,has been set for Orthodoxy Sunday,5 March 2017.It will take place at the St.George Cathedral in the Fanar,the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople/Istanbul,Turkey.Archimandrite Ierotheos was elected to be Bishop of Evkarpia by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Patriarchate.Evkarpia is located on the outskirts of Thessaloniki,Greece,in the New Lands of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.*
The festive occasion will begin with Great Vespers on Saturday evening,presided by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.The following day,the first Sunday of Lent,which is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy,the Synodical Divine Liturgy and consecration will be presided at the cathedral by His Eminence Bartholomew,who is the new Metropolitan of Smyrna/Izmir,Turkey and Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod.