Pat. Bartholomew celebrates jubilee with Primates of two Churches on Imbros

Primates of two Churches concelebrating with Patriarch Bartholomew at the jubilee of his ordination. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On the Greek island of Imbros, Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated a festive Liturgy on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of his diaconal ordination, co-served by the Primates of the Alexandrian and Albanian Churches, reports Vima Orthodoxias.

The hierarchs concelebrated at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, where, on August 13, 1961, the young Dimitrios Archontonis received his first holy order. The co-liturgy is also attended by Metropolitans Emmanuel of Geros Chalcedon, George of Guinea, and Melita of Philadelphia and Chrysostomos of Myra.

Dimitrios Archontonis was ordained a deacon by the then Metropolitan Meliton Hatzis of Imbros and Tenedos Meliton, who was his spiritual father and one of the most important ecclesiastical figures of the 20th century. At that time, the future Patriarch received the name Bartholomew in honor of the ecclesiastical writer Bartholomew of Koutloumousiou.

Patriarch Bartholomew was ordained to the priesthood in 1969. In 1973, he was elected Metropolitan of Philadelphia. In 1990, following the death of his spiritual father, he headed the See of Chalcedon. He ascended to the Patriarchal Throne in October 1991. The enthronement took place in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in the Phanar.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Primates of Albanian and Alexandrian Churches arrived for Pat. Bartholomew's jubilee.

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