Patronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

On Friday, November 30, 2012, His All-Holiness presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St. George for the celebration of the Patronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the occasion of the Feast of St. Andrew, First-Called of the Apostles. Other celebrant hierarchs included Metropolitans Geron Athanasios of Chalcedon, Apostolos of Derkoi, Gennadios of Italy, Chrysostomos of Simi, Apostolos of Militis, Joseph of Proikonnisos, Savas of Pittsburgh, Amphilochios of Kisamos and Selinos, Emmanuel of Kilkis, and Dionisios of Zakynthos.

In attendance also were hierarchs of the Throne and representatives of the Church of Greece, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece, the Hon. Constantine Tsiaras, the Consul General of Greece in Istanbul, the Hon. Nicholas Matthioudakis, and hundreds of pilgrims from all over the world.

In accordance with traditional practice and fraternal relations between our two Churches, the official Delegation of the Pope of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church, headed by Kurt Cardinal Koch, was also present, having arrived the previous day for a reception and conversations.

Source: Ecumenical Patriarchate