Pan-Orthodox Liturgy in Munich

Regular session of the Episcopal Council of the Orthodox Church in Germany was held in Munich from 6 until 8 March 2015.

The Orthodox Episcopal Council of Germany was founded in 2010 and it consists of 16 Metropolitans and Bishops of all Canonical Orthodox Churches in Germany. On Friday, 6 March 2015 Bishops gathered along with 25 priests and deacons who serve in Munich, deliberating about the pastoral problems of the Orthodox believers in Bayern.

The meeting was held at the premises of the Serbian Orthodox church-school congregation of Munich.

In evening hours Bishops were welcomed also by Munich’s Cardinal Reinhard Marks, chairman of the Bishop’s Conference of Germany, who in a cordial talk with Bishops emphasized the significance of the meeting and the dialogue of the Orthodox and Catholics, in general, in the world.

The main meeting of the Bishops was held the next day, March 7th, in a woman’s monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church in Munich, where, during a all-day work was discussed about current problems and needs mostly related to the Orthodox religious education in primary and secondary schools and the Orthodox theology at the University in Munich.

On Sunday, March 8th, Eucharistic gathering in the church of All Saints in Munich was officiated by Metropolitan Augustinos (Ecumenical Patriarchate), chairman of the Episcopal Council of Germany; with the concelebration of Bishop John (Patriarchate of Antioch), Bishop Agapytos (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad of the Moscow Patriarchate), Bishop Sergije (Serbian Patriarchate), Bishop Sofiana (Romanian Patriarchate) and many priests of the Orthodox parishes in Munich.

The byzantine choir of the church of All Saints along with Russian and Bulgarian choirs sang responses.

At the end of the Liturgy the joint pastoral message of all Orthodox Bishops in Germany  was read.

Source: Diocese of Middle Europe of the Serbian Orthodox Church