Metropolitan Ioannis referred to the conditions of our compatibility with the Lord and offers us His own Body and Blood in order to heal “Jesus wants the heart of true repentance something which allows us to sit next to Him at the Table The Last Supper prepared and offered by our Lord is the table of Immortality and through this table of Immortality we can be alive and cohabit with Him.” The Metropolitan pointed out that “the best choice we can make is to approach and meet the Lord by feeling His Love and walking with Him.” the Patriarchate of Jerusalem solemnly celebrated the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women... Archbishop Elpidophoros of America celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of the Theotokos.. it was announced that two Roman Catholic institutions in Bavaria have decided to jointly.. A car once used by Pope Francis during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem is being transformed into a mobile.. the Monastery of Saint Vlash in Albania hosted a festal Divine Liturgy on the.. Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece presided over the festal Great Vespers at the historic.. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [] cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt callback: cb } ); } } }})(); © 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Constantine who celebrate centuries-old rites like firewalking and dancing at annual festivals By Associated Press Greece (AP) — Sotirios Gkaintatzis danced across burning coals his stomping bare feet raising sparks and puffs of smoke as he held aloft an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen Gkaintatzis is the leader of a group of anastenaria — the devotees of St Constantine who celebrate these centuries-old rites in a smattering of small villages near Greece’s border with Bulgaria Firewalking is the most spectacular and public of these annual rituals that include dancing a private dwelling where the icons are preserved for generations “Dancing and firewalking is like communicating with the saints,” Gkaintatzis said through a translator before leading the solemn ceremony in the middle of a residential street in Lagkadas This year’s festival carried extra meaning for Gkaintatzis’ group It was the first since his father — the group’s former leader — died last summer anastenaria made the sign of the cross before kissing the saints’ icons as incense and music from drums a lyra’s strings and a bagpipe filled the room “The aspect of how it’s possible to walk on fire is not the most important thing,” said anastenari Maria Luisa Papadopoulou who’s been participating in the rituals since feeling called to do so more than two decades ago making the sign of the cross as she watched a pile of oak branches burst into flames a couple of hours before they would turn into coals “Always there’s an amount of fear related to respect.” the anastenaria feel empowered through the saints’ intercession to put out the smoldering embers The firewalking becomes a symbol of purification and healing not unlike similar rituals from North Africa to the South Pacific islands where devotees undergo potentially dangerous painful experiences as a sign of empowerment through belief “Doing this is like you walk on your happiness and burn the sadness,” Papadopoulou said as the darkness fell and she and a half a dozen other firewalkers took off their shoes and socks they carried the icons in procession through the small garden onto the street where a bed of coals glowed A small crowd gathered to watch in silence The tradition originated in the late 1800s in Kosti a small town a few miles from the Black Sea in what’s now Bulgaria His family was among the ethnic Greeks forcefully relocated to the region near Thessaloniki in the population exchanges driven by the Balkan Wars a century ago When the church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Kosti burned down villagers walked through the flames to rescue the icons believing it was the result of the saints’ miraculous intercession The three-day festival centers on May 21 – this year the date of Greece’s widely watched national elections it is the feast day of two of their most important saints Constantine, a 4th century Roman emperor, converted to Christianity and laid the foundations for the Byzantine Empire, one of history’s most significant global powers whose imprint deeply marks this region But the Orthodox church long persecuted the anastenaria’s devotion seeing in the dancing and firewalking traces of pagan rites an anthropology professor emeritus at Bates College in Maine who wrote a book about the rites Even today priests tend to look askance and avoid participating in the celebrations are quick to emphasize their closeness to Christian doctrine They’re also eager to preserve the mystery of their unique manifestation of faith which this week was evident in the rapt expressions as they prepared to carry icons onto the coals It cannot be interpreted or taught,” Gkaintatzis said emphasizing what several other firewalkers referred to as a calling or duty they were mysteriously granted Among the front-row observers throughout Monday’s rituals was Konstantinos Kyriakides who hopes to be called to walk on the coals when he turns 18 he had eagerly helped set the fire with a foot-long marigold-yellow candle typical of Orthodox churches like St Panteleimon standing at the end of the street the elderly sipped coffee and goats grazed “I want to honor my elders,” said Kyriakides using an affectionate nickname for grandparents “If the elders allow it and if you are a good boy – you have to have a kind heart and be virtuous,” his father said Sweat poured down his face after dancing on the coals – but not a single mark except for soot smudges was visible on his bare feet the anastenaria processed back to the konaki returning the icons with more swirls of incense and a few celebratory dance steps Much of the music is unique to the occasion and passed down by word of mouth For the bagpiper and college music major Vasilis Mitkoudis the interest in the rituals is more cultural than religious Drum player Giorgos Kormazos said he also likes to support Greek traditions But he added that he finds faith symbols in the act of playing – the rhythmic pounding of the large double-headed drum recalls the steps of the villagers through the burning ruins when they rescued the icons Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US The AP is solely responsible for this content Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us We preview the Leafs-Panthers series with former L.A Kings executive and co-host of The FAN Hockey Show is Mike Futa Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls on Prime Minister Mark Carney to prioritize a list of projects including the proposed Highway 401 tunnel Monday is calling for rain and thunderstorms Stella Acquisto has the long-range forecast Could we see another indefinite pause on postal service in the country Negotiations are underway again as Canada Post and the workers’ union try to cut a deal to avoid a lockout or strike later this month listen to NewsRadio Toronto live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices More than 80 wildfires have been reported around Greece between Monday and Tuesday evening as the country grapples with a record-breaking heat wave that is forecast to continue through this week On Monday, the town of Langadas in northern Greece recorded a sweltering temperature of 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.1 degrees Celsius)—close to the record of the hottest temperature ever recorded in the European Union of 118.4 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius), which was set in Athens in July 1977 Several other areas of the locations across the country recorded temperatures between 114 degrees Fahrenheit (45.6 degrees Celsius) and 115.2 degrees Fahrenheit (46.2 degrees Celsius) Monday while Athens reached a high of 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) Temperatures are expected to reach more than 113 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the country this week The heat has contributed to a growing wildfire crisis across the eastern Mediterranean where unprecedented blazes are burning in multiple countries ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The Metropolitan of Langadas briefly told them the ecclesiastical history of his diocese while speaking of Saints Cyril and Methodius and Damaskinos Stouditis The Ukrainian pilgrims also visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paraskevi in Langadas where they were shown around by the General Archieratic Commissioner they had the opportunity to venerate the relics of Saint Kyranna as well as the site where the relics of Saint Akylina were found They also visited the Holy Trinity Monastery in Pente Vryses the Ecclesiastical Sacristy and the Library of the Metropolis of Langadas A wildfire that broke out on Friday near Lagkadas in the northern port city of Thessaloniki is now partially under control still requires the attention of ground crews A total of 20 firefighters and eight fire engines are working to extinguish the fire An aerial firefighting helicopter has also been providing aerial assistance No residential areas were threatened by the fire Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox “The Holy Synod has decided the same thing there is an alignment of views with the government We hope that the virus will soon resolve and we will return to our normal lives both in our workplaces and in the areas of prayer and the churches,” the Metropolitan of Langadas noted “Our faithful are manifesting their faith there are also practical problems that require measures to protect the faithful the sooner we will return to our normal course,” he added Two cases of malaria have been diagnosed in the Aghios Vasileios community in the Langadas municipality of Thessaloniki Regional authorities said on Friday that the two infected individuals responded well to medication and are in “good health,” adding that all necessary precautions to contain mosquito numbers are being undertaken of the preventive measures to be taken,” central Macedonian regional authorities said in a statement President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Archbishop Ieronymos of Greece According to information from the Presidency of the Republic the cancellation of the visit of Prokopis Pavlopoulos is due to the postponement of the visit of Archbishop Ieronymos for health reasons Thestival.gr pointed out that the organizers of the event were considering whether or not to postpone the opening of the Park The Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece chaired by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and all of Greece in its fifth session in the hall of the Inter-Orthodox Center of the Church of Greece in the Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Penteli the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece began the voting for the five vacant Metropolises Four Metropolitans reposed in the Lord and one resigned The procedures for the election of five new Metropolitans have been completed The ordination of the Metropolitan of Langadas The ordination of the new Metropolitan of Kastoria the ordination of the Metropolitan of Peristeri the ordination of the new Metropolitan of Thira Archimandrite Platon Krikris was elected the new Metropolitan of Langadas Liti and Rentini in the Holy Monastery of Penteli elected Archimandrite Plato Krikris as the new Metropolitan of Langadas with 55 votes against the Metropolitan of Vresthena where he attended the circular studies and graduated from the Patmiada Ecclesiastical School He studied theology at the Theological School of the Kapodistrian University of Athens his interest in ecclesiastical history and the relationship of the Church with the Nation has been vivid He completed postgraduate studies at the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1996-1998) Archimandrite Kallinikos Georgatos was elected the new Metropolitan of Kastoria elected Archimandrite Kallinikos Georgatos as the new Metropolitan of Kastoria with 47 votes against Archimandrite Christoforos Angelopoulos and Archimandrite Nikolaos Giannoussas The elected Metropolitan of Kastoria Kallinikos (born as Nikolaos Georgatos) was born in Edessa in 1966 and grew up in an ecclesiastical environment always accompanied by the presence of Saint Kallinikos Metropolitan of Edessa He studied at the Pedagogical Academy of Heraklion Crete and at the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki he was ordained a Presbyter and received the title of Archimandrite by the same Metropolitan He worked as a Deacon of the Metropolitan Church of Saint Dimitrios in Nafpaktos as a priest of the Holy Church of Saint Georgios in Kryoneria then as a Preacher of the Holy Metropolis and head of the Youth Department and from March 2017 until today as Protosyncellus Archimandrite Bartholomew Antoniou was elected the new Metropolitan of Polyanni and Kilkis elected Archimandrite Bartholomew Antoniou as the new Metropolitan of Polyanni and Kilkis with 58 votes against Archimandrite Ioannikios Koulianopoulos and Archimandrite Dorotheos Paparis The elected Metropolitan of Polyani and Kilkis Bartholomew (born as Dimitrios) Antoniou-Triantaphyllidis He was ordained a deacon in 1992 and a presbyter in 1994 he has represented the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece in events in Greece and abroad he has participated as a speaker and conference attendant and writes articles in the daily press Archimandrite Grigorios Papathomas was elected the new Metropolitan of Peristeri elected Archimandrite Grigorios Papathomas as the new Metropolitan of Peristeri with 68 votes against Archimandrite Kallinikos Nikolaos and Archimandrite Gerasimos Karamolegos was born 61 years ago and is a graduate of the Theological School and the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki the Law School and the School of Canon Law of Paris with a PhD in Canon Law from the University of Paris He was a preacher of the Metropolis of Polyanni and Kilkis abbot of the Monastery of Saint Georgios in Lofos Protosyncellus of the Metropolis of France Stephen of Paris and preacher of the Archdiocese of Athens for 11 years Archimandrite Amfilochios Rousakis was elected the new Metropolitan of Thira elected Archimandrite Amfilochios Rousakis as the new Metropolitan of Thira against Bishop Tegeas Theoklitos and Archimandrite Gerasimos Karamolegos Archimandrite Amfilochios (born as Panagiotis) Rousakis was born in Athens in 1970 A graduate of the Rizareio Ecclesiastical School he studied and received his degree from the Theological School of the University of Athens at the Holy Monastery Petrakis under the then Abbot there was a Great Hierarchical Concelebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Serres Metropolitan Theologos presided over the Divine Liturgy concelebrating with Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria Metropolitan Ierotheos of Zichni and Neurokopio Metropolitan Panteleimon Maroneia and Komotini Metropolitan Timotheos of Thessaliotida and Phanariofersala Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Triki and Stagi The Divine Word was proclaimed by the Metropolitan Daniel of Kesariani He spoke of the personality and work of Saint Ioannis the Theologian stressing that the celebration of his memory gives us the opportunity to reflect and deepen our thoughts on Evangelist John Metropolitan of Kesariani offered his good wishes to Metropolitan Theologos of Serres and Nigrita on his name day Metropolitan Theologos stressed that “the bishop of each local Church carries and reveals its ethos If we want to follow the teachings of Jesus we are called to take up His Cross,” he said It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.