Hierarchs mark Ecclesiastical New Year at the Phanar
Yesterday, Orthodox faithful across the globe marked the Feast of the New Indiction, signifying the beginning of the liturgical year.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered a blessing over the upcoming year at the Venerable Patriarchal Church of St. George in Phanar, Istanbul, Türkiye before signing the Act of the New Indiction. This signature signifies the ecclesiastical year’s official beginning.
Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne attended the feast-day Divine Liturgy presided over by His All-Holiness, before joining their signatures with the Ecumenical Patriarch’s. Among the signatories was His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
Recognizing the new ecclesiastical year and its significance, Archbishop Elpidophoros issued a statement via social media:
“Today, we welcome the Ecclesiastical New Year, which I was blessed to celebrate alongside His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Phanar. This feast-day also marks the Day for the Protection of the Environment, and 28 years since our Ecumenical Patriarch declared that “damage to the environment bears consequences not only for nature but also for humanity, rendering human life less tolerable and beautiful.”
While we mark these occasions every September 1, this new year carries special significance. In just a few days, we will welcome His All-Holiness to the United States, where he will be honored with the prestigious Templeton Prize for proclaiming that the destruction of the environment is a sin, and that humanity’s bond with creation is a sacred responsibility. As His All-Holiness reminds us in this year’s feast-day encyclical:
‘Alienation from God breeds a possessive and exploitative attitude and behavior toward creation and fellow human beings, while life in and according to Christ is a source of environmental sensitivity and philanthropic action…We call upon the children of the Holy Great Church of Christ across the globe to live in a true eco-friendly manner and in brotherly love, to pray for creation and for peace, to strive for the integrity of the natural environment and sustainability, and to cultivate a culture of solidarity.’”
Article by Corinna Robinson
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