His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will visit Thessaloniki from 26 September to 1 October, 2025. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by his delegation, will arrive in Thessaloniki by plane on Friday, 26 September. On Saturday, 27 September, the Ecumenical Patriarch will attend the opening of the photography exhibition by Giannis Giannatos, “Mount Athos –…

On Monday afternoon, 1 September 2025, the residents of Peristerona, a community in the Paphos district, extended a warm welcome to the Primate of the Church of Cyprus, His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios of New Justiniana and All Cyprus. The clergy and faithful of the region, who had welcomed him in 1996 as the first Bishop…

At the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew travelled by air on Tuesday, 2 September to Alanya, in southern Turkey, in order to preside at the celebrations of the Orthodox Community there, on the occasion of the feast of Panagia Pisidiotissa, which had been established by the late…

Dearly Beloved Brothers & Sisters in Christ, In today’s Gospel reading, we learn about a young man seeking eternal life, out of earnest desire. Christ first gently guides him toward the commandments; what the Mosaic Law demands. St. John Chrysostom sees in this exchange no pretense. The man was sincere; impelled by longing. The young…

H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden’s Homily, welcoming His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, at the Thyranoixia Service of the St. George Cathedral of Stockholm   Your All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, Your Eminences, Rev. Members of the Clergy, Your Excellencies, Archons and Distinguished Guests from…

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, meeting in Constantinople on August 30–31, the final two days of the church year, decided to canonise two Romanian elders of Mount Athos: hieroschemamonk Dionisie (Ignat) of Colciu and archimandrite Petroniu (Tănase) of Prodromos Skete. The feast day of Saint Dionysius of Vatopedi (the “St. George” Cell, where…

The Orthodox Church of Albania marked the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year on 1 September with a spirit of hope and optimism, reflecting the timeless tradition of the Church. Unlike the secular New Year celebrated on 1 January, the ecclesiastical year begins on 1 September, a practice known as the Indiction, which was established…

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is, on 2 and 3 September, in the city of Alanya of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia, at the invitation of the local Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Job, in order to preside at the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Church of the Panagia of Pisidia. The Patriarch was…

How has His All-Holiness touched your life, inspired your faith, or strengthened your spiritual journey? If you had the opportunity to speak with him and share your thoughts, what would you say? The Orthodox Observer invites you to submit short reflections to be shared when he arrives in the U.S. this September. Your reflections, questions,…