Istanbul, October 9, 2019
Hieromartyr Plato (Aivazidis), one of the seven newly-canonized martyrs. Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
At the proposal of His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople resolved to canonized seven New Martyrs of Kastoria last week.
“With great emotion, I would like to convey to all Christians residing in the historic and Byzantine Kastoria the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, under the presidency of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for the formal inclusion of seven New Martyrs who were born and martyred in Kastoria or served there in the hagiology of the Orthodox Church,” writes Met. Seraphim on the site of the Kastoria Metropolis.
“Thus, this Byzantine province, adorned by Byzantine and post-Byzantine temples, monasteries and mansions, becomes at the same time a martyred diocese and a martyred place,” the hierarch continues.
New Martyr Ioannis (Noultzos) was born and martyred in Kastoria in 1696 together with his brother and sister-in-law.
Hieromartyr Plato (Aivazidis) was protosingelos of Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis of Kastoria. He was born on the holy island of Patmos, where there has already been a church dedicated to his memory for some time. He was hanged by the Turks on September 21, 1921.
Kastoria also honors New Martyr George of Agarinon, who was martyred in the Acarnania region.
New Martyr Markos (Markoulis) was born in Kleisoura and hanged in the Church of St. Paraskeva in Kastoria in 1598.
Hieromartyr Vasilios Kalapaliki endured a horrible yet glorious martyrdom in Kastoria.
As Met. Seraphim notes, the canonization of new saints is a joy for the entire Orthodox Church, as the saints do not belong only to one place.
