The Representation of the Dioceses of Finland in Phanar

By a synodal decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, all three Hierarchs were invited to come to Phanar under the regular protection of the Mother Church of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland, namely Archbishop Leo of Helsinki and All Finland, Metropolitan Arseni of Kuopio and Karelia and Metropolitan Elia of Oulu, who arrived in the city accompanied by the Hieromonk Fr. Damaskinos Xenofontinos, Fr. Ioannis Lampropoulos, Fr. Michail Sidoroff, the First Deacon Andreas Salminen and the theologian Mr. Eliseo Heikkila.

Today, Monday, October 5, 2020, the guests were received by the Ecumenical Patriarch, in the presence of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who last year visited the Church of Finland twice as a member of the Patriarchal Exarchates and the Undersecretary of the Holy Synod Deacon Gregory.

At the meeting that followed, the current situation in the Church of Finland was discussed and an extensive dialogue took place, after which the Hierarchs listened to the Ecumenical Patriarch’s call for peace to be restored within this local Church for the smooth continuation of its upward course.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the three Finnish Archbishops will be invited to attend the morning session of the Holy and Sacred Synod, which will carry out its three-day work in October at the Holy Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi in Valoukli, where there is more space and the decisions of the competent health authorities for coronavirus protection can be more easily implemented.

Source: Orthodoxtimes.com