Trabzon, Turkey, August 16, 2022
Photo: Facebook
Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, and other clergy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople participated in an ecumenical event in Trabzon on the eve of the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos on Sunday.
The Patriarch presided over Great Vespers at the local Santa Maria Catholic church.
The ecumenical event was organized with the support of the Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul, Bishop Paulo Bizzeti of Anatolia, the local Catholic priest, and the Sisters of the Incarnate Word of Christ, as the Patriarch stated in his address at the end of the service.
In his homily, the Patriarch “highlighted not only the meaningful meeting point of different cultures and faiths in Trabzon, but also the unifying love of the Theotokos herself.”
“Our two sister churches—Roman Catholic and Orthodox—are inseparably connected by our devotion to and veneration of the Theotokos,” the Patriarch said, recalling a tradition that two noblemen from Constantinople once returned from Mt. Athos with the robe of the Theotokos and placed it in the Church of the Theotokos of Blachernae.
“This means that the Silk Road through Trabzon and the red robe of the Theotokos are strangely interconnected in the story of Trabzon and in the house of Christians,” Pat. Bartholomew explained.
Photo: Facebook
The Patriarch also addressed current events: “Her robe is a soft consolation for our weaknesses and failures. It is a soothing comfort for our conflicts and divisions and it is a healing protection for all those who are still suffering and dying in Ukraine as a result of the unprovoked invasion by Russia.”
And referring to Pope Francis, who is suffering from ongoing knee trouble, Pat. Bartholomew said: “Recognizing the hospitality of our brothers and sisters here, our minds and thoughts are with our beloved and respected brother, His Holiness Pope Francis, who is currently facing minor health issues, and we ask our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos to intercede to her Son and our God for His well-being.”
The service concluded with the singing of a Catholic hymn.
Watch the full service below:
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