Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Lithuania to present new exarch

Patriarch Bartholomew will pay a visit to Lithuania on June 7, during which he will officially present a new exarch for the local Orthodox community under the jurisdiction of Constantinople.

According to VEMA, on May 26, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople elected the Great Preacher of the Great Church of Christ, Panaret (Psaraftis), as Bishop of Tamis. It is he who will fulfill the duties of His All Holiness’ Exarch in Lithuania and will arrive in the country together with the Patriarch.

The visit will take place at the invitation of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas. As part of the program, Patriarch Bartholomew will participate in a conference on the Christian teaching on mercy and the inter-Christian approach to this topic.

The key event will be the Divine Liturgy, which will take place on June 7 in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius, with the participation of the Patriarch and the new Exarch. An official meeting with representatives of the Lithuanian Orthodox community is planned after the service.