Pledges of support continued to pour in from around the Orthodox world for the Greek Orthodox community of Constantinople, in the wake of the recent fire at the Church-run Balukli hospital and elderly care center in the Bosporus metropolis.
In a solemn atmosphere on Saturday, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, officiated at the great feast of the Transfiguration of Christ the Savior, held at the Patriarchal monastery on the Marmara Sea isle of Proti, one of the Princes islands.
His All Holiness, in a sermon, bemoaned the devastating fire at the nursing home, referring to a new test for the Greek Orthodox community of Constantinople.
In particular, the Ecumenical Patriarch stated:
“We also wish to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt praise to the Lord for the prevention of casualties, as well as our sincere thanks to all those who rushed from the very first moment to the scene of the fire, to contribute in any way they could to limit its spread and extinguish it, from the representatives of the state and local authorities to the simple, but truly heroic, volunteers.”
The Archdioceses of America and Canada have already commenced fund-raising drives to collect money for the restoration of the Balukli hospital, while the Church of Greece and Church of Cyprus have also indicated their support.
According to the head of the Balukli Foundation, Costas Ioannidis, work to fully restore the building are expected to conclude in six months.
