Athens, July 16, 2021
St. Anastasios Gordios. Photo: johnsanidopoulos.com During its session in Athens on July 14-15, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece canonized dozens of new saints, including a number of martyrs and confessors.
Among the 52 newly-canonized saints are the seven hierarchs who were martyred in April 1821 together with Patriarch Gregory V, who was already canonized 100 years ago: Eugenios of Anchialos, Iosif of Thessaloniki, Gregorios of Derkoi, Dionysios of Ephesus, Dorotheos of Andrianople, Athanasios of Nicomedia, and Ioannichios of Tarnovo, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.
The Synod also canonized Metropolitan Plato of Chios and 43 others who were martyred by Ottoman troops in the Chios Massacre on Holy Friday in 1822. The list includes priests, deacons, hieromonks, and monks.
Lastly, the Synod also resolved to canonize Venerable Anastasios Gordios (+1729), one of the most important scholarly clerics during the Turkish occupation. He is numbered among the Teachers of the Nation and is considered a precursor to the Modern Greek Enlightenment.
His fragrant skull is today treasured at St. Paraskevi Monastery in Agrafa.
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