At noon on Thursday, 18 September, in the Katholikon of the Holy Monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos, the Funeral Service was celebrated for the ever-memorable Elder Vasilios (Gontikakis), former Abbot of the Monastery of Iviron.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was represented by His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Symi.
The Funeral Service was presided over by His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Dimitrios of the Princes’ Islands, with the participation of the Hierarchs: Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, Metropolitan Panteleimon of Maroneia and Komotini, Metropolitan Kyrillos of Ierapytni and Sitia, Bishop Chrysostomos of Rodostolou, Bishop Christophoros of Amphipolis, and Bishop Theophilos of Lakedaimonia.
Also present were the Abbots of the Athonite Monasteries: Great Lavra, Vatopaidi, Koutloumousiou, Dionysiou, Pantokrator, Zografou, Simonopetra, Xenophontos, Grigoriou, Docheiariou, Karakallou, and Esphigmenou.
The Holy Epistasia (Holy Supervisory Committee), representatives of other monasteries, and a large gathering of clergy, monastics, and laypeople were likewise in attendance.
The hymn “With the saints” (Meta ton Hagion) was chanted by the venerable Bishop Chrysostomos of Rodostolou.
Funeral orations were delivered by: Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Symi, representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch; Elder Abraham of the Great Lavra, the Protos of Mount Athos; Abbot Prodromos of the Great Lavra; and Abbot Nathaniel of the Monastery of Iviron.
