Patriarch Bartholomew to introduce new exarch for Lithuania in Vilnius
Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency
On June 6, 2026, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will arrive in Vilnius for a meeting with the local Orthodox community. The head of the Phanar plans to personally preside over ceremonial events and introduce his newly appointed representative in Lithuania, according to VEMA.
The Patriarch's visit to the Lithuanian capital will last two days, June 6–7. The central event of the trip will be the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Trinity, which Patriarch Bartholomew will celebrate on Sunday, June 7.
The recently appointed Exarch of Lithuania will concelebrate with Bartholomew during the service. Following the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch is expected to meet with members of the community under the jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarchate. The discussions will focus on the current situation and future prospects of the Church structure in the country.
As previously reported by the UOJ, on May 26, 2026, the Holy Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate elected Panaretos Psaraftis as Bishop of Tamasos. At the same session, the Synod appointed him Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Lithuania. Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople consecrated the new hierarch on May 31, 2026, the feast of Pentecost. The episcopal ordination took place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in the Phanar.
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