Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will pay his first official visit to Ukraine from today until August 24 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence as a sovereign state.
Source: Orthodoxtimes.com
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had invited the Ecumenical Patriarch to attend the celebrations.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will also pay an official visit to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and its Primate, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, with whom he will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy at the historic Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on Sunday, August 22.
In its announcement, the Ecumenical Patriarchate announced its entourage that will accompany him to this visit.
Elder Metropolitan Emmanouel of Chalcedon, Metropolitans Amfilochios of Adrianople and Stephanos of Filippoi, Neapolis and Thasos, Archim. Gregory, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, and Grand Syncellus Iakovos, and Patriarchal Deacon Ieronymos Sotirelis are among those who accompany the Ecumenical Patriarch.
The Ecumenical Patriarch is also accompanied by Nikolaos-Georgios Papachristou, Director of the Press and Communication Office, and Panagiotis Grafiadellis and Damianos Bardaktsis, Secretaries of the Patriarchates.
It is reminded that on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the priesthood of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Metropolitan Epifaniy concelebrated the Divine Liturgy along with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, at the Church of St. George in Imbros.