The Primates of the Churches of Alexandria and Albania will take part in events marking the 65th anniversary of the Phanar’s leader’s ministry

The Greek public broadcaster ERT is organizing a live broadcast from the island of Imbros dedicated to significant events in the Orthodox world: the 65th anniversary of the ordination of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople as a deacon and the celebration of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God. It is reported that the heads of the Churches of Alexandria and Albania will also take part in the events. According to Orthodox Times, the solemn divine services will take place in the homeland of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.

On Thursday, August 13, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the Metropolitan Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God on Imbros, presided over by Patriarch Bartholomew. He will be concelebrated by Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, as well as Archbishop John of Tirana and All Albania. This service will mark the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the Patriarch’s priestly ministry; he was ordained a deacon on August 13, 1961, in this very church.

In addition, on August 15, the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the ERT3 and ERT Cosmos television channels will broadcast the Divine Liturgy from the Church of the Annunciation in the mountain village of Agios Theodoros (Agridia). Patriarch Bartholomew will preside over the solemn service, concelebrated by Archbishop John of Albania. These broadcasts are intended to give believers in Greece and other countries the opportunity to participate in one of the most important feasts of the Orthodox calendar.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church had officially invited Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Bulgaria in October of this year. The visit is timed to coincide with the celebration of two significant historical anniversaries: the 1,150th anniversary of the birth of St. John of Rila and the 1,080th anniversary of his repose.