PRESS RELEASE
We are pleased to announce the following:
– His Grace Bishop-elect Raphael of Ilion will be ordained on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, (Matins: 9:00 AM) at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Panteleimon and St. Paraskevi in Harrow, London.
– His Grace Bishop-elect Iakovos of Claudiopolis will be ordained on Thursday, March 11, 2021, (Matins: 9:00 AM) at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom in Bayswater, London.
On Holy Monday, 29th April 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain made His first arch-pastoral visit to the Orthodox community of St Andrew, at St Andrews Fife, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Raphael of Ilion.
Following His arrival, His Eminence Nikitas presided over the Service of the Bridegroom. After the service, He was welcomed by V. Revd Archimandrite Avraamy Neyman, Priest-in-charge of the parish, who thanked The Archbishop on behalf of the community for His visit.
The community’s Parish Council then held an evening dinner reception for His Eminence, His Grace, the accompanying clergy and the people of God. His Eminence gave people the opportunity to ask questions concerning the Faith and the ministries of the Archdiocese.
The Archbishop also gave his pastoral advice to support the ministry of the community and took many questions including on mission, today’s society, and the Archdiocese programmes for catechism and youth.
Prot. No. 244
+ B A R T H O L O M E W
BY GOD’S MERCY
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH:
MAY THE GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY OF CHRIST RISEN IN GLORY
BE WITH YOU ALL
* * *
Most honorable brother Hierarchs and beloved children in the Lord,
By the pleasure and grace of God, the giver of all gifts, having run the race of Holy and Great Lent and spent with compunction the Week of our Lord’s Passion, behold we delight in the celebration of His splendid Resurrection, through which we were redeemed from the tyranny of Hades.
The glorious Resurrection of the Lord Christ from the dead is a shared resurrection of the entire race of mortals and a foretaste of the perfection of all, as well as of the fulfilment of the Divine Oikonomia in the heavenly Kingdom. We participate in the ineffable mystery of the Resurrection in the Church, being sanctified in its sacraments and experiencing Pascha, “which has opened to us the gates of Paradise,” not as a recollection of an event in the past, but as the quintessence of ecclesiastical life, as the presence of Christ ever among us, closer to us than we to ourselves. On Pascha, the Orthodox faithful discover their true selves as being in Christ; they are integrated into the movement of all things to the End Times, “with inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1.8), as “children of light . . . and children of day” (1 Thess. 5.5).
The central feature of Orthodox life is its Resurrectional pulse. Philosophers have wrongly described Orthodox spirituality as “sullen” and “autumnal.” By contrast, Westerners rightly praise the refined perceptiveness of the Orthodox in relation to the meaning and depth of the paschal experience. Yet this faith never forgets that the way to the Resurrection passes through the Cross. Orthodox spirituality does not recognize the utopianism of a Resurrection without Crucifixion, nor the pessimism of the Cross without the Resurrection. For this reason, in the Orthodox experience, evil does not have the final word in history, while faith in the Resurrection serves as the motivation for the struggle against the presence of evil and its consequences in the world, acting as a powerful transformative force. In the Orthodox self-consciousness, there is no place for surrender to evil or for indifference toward the development of human affairs. On the contrary, its contribution to the transformation of history has theological basis and existential grounding and it unfolds without running the risk of identifying the Church with the world. The Orthodox believer is conscious of the antithesis between worldly reality and eschatological perfection. And so he or she cannot remain idle before any negative dimensions of the world. For this reason, the Orthodox Church has never considered the struggle for transforming the world as a meaningless matter. Our faith in the Resurrection has preserved the Church both from introversion and indifference for the world, as well as from secularization.
For us Orthodox, the entire mystery and existential treasure of our piety is condensed into Pascha. When we hear that the Myrrh-bearers “were astonished” upon “entering the tomb and seeing a young man dressed in bright clothes” (Mark 16.5), this characterizes the vastness and essence of our experience of faith as the experience of existential wonder. When we hear that “they were astonished,” this means that we find ourselves before a mystery that becomes deeper the more we approach it, in accordance with what has been said, that our faith “is not a journey from mystery to knowledge, but from knowledge to mystery.”
While the denial of mystery existentially reduces human nature, the respect of mystery opens to us the gates of heaven. Faith in the Resurrection is the deepest and clearest expression of our freedom; or rather, it is the birth of freedom as a voluntary acceptance of the supreme divine gift, namely of deification by grace. As “experienced Resurrection,” the Orthodox Church is the space of “authentic freedom” that for the Christian life is the foundation, way, and destiny. The Resurrection of Christ is the good news of freedom, the gift of freedom, and the guarantee of “shared freedom” in the “eternal life” of the Kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
With these sentiments, most precious brothers and beloved children, filled with the complete joy of participating in “the feast that is shared by all,” having received light from the unwaning light and given glory to Christ risen from the dead and brought life to all – even as we remember during this all-festal “chosen and holy day” all of our brothers and sisters in difficult circumstances – we pray to our Lord “who trampled down death by death,” the God of peace, that He might bring peace to the world and guide our steps toward every deed that is good and pleasing to Him, proclaiming the all-joyous hymn “Christ is Risen!”
At the Phanar, Holy Pascha 2024
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Fervent supplicant for you all
to the Risen Lord
On April 27, 2024, the Saturday of Lazarus, The Twelve Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Hertfordshire, 43 individuals were received into the Orthodox Church by His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain. Assisting him were His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Claudiopolis and numerous Archdiocesan clergy members. The neophytes successfully attended the 7th Session of the Archdiocesan Discover Orthodoxy Class led by V. Rev. Archimandrite Nephon Tsimalis, Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese which was held on zoom every week for 9 months.
This session of Discover Orthodoxy started in September 2023 and is set to conclude in May. The group included 36 adults and one infant who were received through Holy Baptism and Chrismation, while six adults were received by Holy Chrismation. The newly illumined Orthodox Christians hail from various backgrounds, including the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Africa, other Commonwealth and European countries, and Asia.
The present session of the Catechism Class will offer a total of one hundred converts. Those not received on the Saturday of Lazarus are scheduled to be received during the Paschal Season at various parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. To date, the Discover Orthodoxy program has welcomed over 260 converts, in just four and a half years. After the Service of Holy Baptism and Chrismation, the neophytes processed into the Church bearing their candles to participate in the Divine Liturgy, during which they received the Holy and Life-Giving Eucharist, for the first time.
Before the conclusion of the Liturgy, His Eminence elevated the Rev. Fr. Nikodemus Angeli to the rank of protopresbyter in honor of his humble and fruitful service. The Archbishop also thanked the parish clergy, the Rev. Protopresbyter Joseph Paliouras, Priest-in-charge, and the Rev. Father Demetrianos Melekis, for their hospitality and gracious assistance.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas offered an icon of the 12 Apostles to each of the newly illuminated Orthodox Christians as a token of the special day. A generous Lenten reception followed hosted by Archon Louis Loizou, Community Chairman, in honor the neophytes, families, and community.
Photo Credit: Jessy Papasavva Photography
Video Credit: Aaron Kwakye
On Monday, 22, April, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), delivered a moving address @UKParliament at the invitation of @ROconect. The event centred on “Ensuring Remembrance: Advocating For Education and Commemoration of the Roma Holocaust in the UK”.
In his speech, the Archbishop spoke of the errors of the past, the sins of previous generations and the transgressions caused by ignorance and fear. His Eminence spoke of his own childhood experiences and the prejudice in the United States. He cited the impactful alliance of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the late great Archbishop Iakovos, who marched together in Selma, Alabama.
Archbishop Nikitas also spoke of forgiveness and the importance of looking forward rather than dwelling on past grievances. He affirmed his and his Archdiocese’s commitment to supporting the Roma community’s fight for justice, equality, and truth.
On Saturday, 20th April 2024, George Tsiappourdhi was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at the Church of the Holy Trinity and St. Luke in Birmingham. His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain presided over Matins and concelebrated the Divine Liturgy. Among those concelebrating was the V. Revd Archimandrite Christodoulos Kokliotis, the Revd Protopresbyter Christos Stephanou, Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Protopresbyter John Nankivell, the Revd Protopresbyter John Hookway, the Revd Hieromonk Bartholomew, the Revd Protopresbyter Theodoros Polyviou, Revd Oeconomos Aimilianos Epaminonda, Revd Oeconomos Nikolaos Karafylides, the Revd Presbyter Andreas Minic and the Revd Presbyter Georgios Athanasopoulos. The Rev. Archdeacon Dr George Tsourous and the Deacon Gregory Craveiro also served. Revd Presbyter Dr Nikita Banev was also prayerfully present in the altar.
On this significant day of his ordination to the first order of the priesthood, George expressed deep humility and gratitude to God but also His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas and everyone present, acknowledging his unworthiness for the “double blessing” of ordination, as he would be ordained a priest on the following day. His acceptance of this calling, inspired by the teachings of the Church, was marked by his commitment to serve with humility and love, acknowledging the critical need for more priests within the archdiocese.
In his heartfelt speech, George expressed his gratitude to a diverse group of individuals who have influenced his journey to ordination, including family, clergy, monastics, teachers, and friends. He reflected on significant personal changes that have enriched both his family life and spiritual development. This transformative journey was notably supported by the consistent patience and love of his family, underpinned by the wise guidance of his spiritual father, Father John Nankivell, who has been instrumental in helping him navigate his faith and relationships. Special acknowledgment was given to his wife, Hilda Georgia, whom he commended as a pillar of strength and support, and for filling the past year with profound love. As Fr George embraces his new ecclesiastical duties, he sought the prayers and ongoing support of the church community, committed to applying the lessons he has learned throughout his life.
In his address, Archbishop Nikitas offered paternal counsel to Fr George, urging him to face any potential difficulties with courage and to embody simplicity and humility in his priestly ministry to the people of God. The Archbishop also emphasised the immense blessing this ordination is for Fr George and his family, highlighting the remarkable grace of receiving both degrees of the priesthood within just two days. He noted that this swift progression is particularly auspicious as it allows Fr George the blessing of celebrating the Joyful Feast of Pascha in less than two weeks as a fully ordained priest.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas bestowed the Office of Confessor to the Revd Oeconomos Nicholas Karafyllides, recognising his dedicated pastoral work and authorising him to offer spiritual guidance as a confessor.
The day’s events culminated in a heartwarming reception organised by the Philanthropic Committee of Apostolos Louka & Estia, marking a memorable occasion for the Greek Orthodox Community in Birmingham.
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