CONSTANTINOPLE – The newly elected Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus paid his first visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, known in the ecclesiastical language as a “peaceful visit.”
His Beatitude, accompanied by Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia and Famagusta, Nektarios of Kition, and Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, Archim. Fr. Georgios Christodoulou, Archimandrite Fr. Grigorios Ioannidis, Professor at the Theological School of the Church of Cyprus, Deacon Michael Nikolaou, and Michalis Spyrou, Director of the Archdiocesan Office.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his speech welcoming Archbishop Georgios said that the visit of the Archbishop of Cyprus is taking place in a difficult period for inter-Orthodox relations. “Your presence in Constantinople is a gift of God, in a difficult period for inter-Orthodox relations.” Moved by the words of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Archbishop of Cyprus, in his reply, referred to the centuries-old relationship of the Church of Cyprus with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual center of Orthodoxy.

The Ecumenical Patriarch, in his reply, expressed his particular joy over the visit of the Primate of the Church of Cyprus and his honorable entourage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, stressing, however, that the joy of all is overshadowed by unpleasant events, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the devastating earthquakes in southeastern Turkey and Syria with tens of thousands of victims, and the recent railway tragedy in Greece, which, as he said, shocked the Greek people, and the whole world.

Archbishop Georgios stressed that the short visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch to Cyprus for the funeral of Archbishop Chrysostomos was very touching for everyone, as he showed the mutual love they had.

Regarding the recent earthquakes, he said that a fundraiser was also held in Cyprus, part of the money raised from which will be handed over to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in order to be distributed to the earthquake victims. Archbishop Georgios presided over the Doxology at the St. George Patriarchal Church and on the Sunday of Orthodoxy he co-celebrated the Divine Liturgy.