On Sunday, 9th March 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, known as the Sunday of Orthodoxy, at the Churcg of St Panteleimon and St Paraskevi in London. Also serving were the Revd Protopresbyter Konstantinos Papageorgiou, Priest-in-charge; the Revd Archdeacon Dr George Tsourous; and the Revd Deacon Charalambos Clark,

Also attending the Divine Liturgy were a number of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The traditional Sunday of Orthodoxy procession of the Holy Icons took place at the end of the Divine Liturgy. The faithful commemorated the triumph of Orthodoxy through the restoration of icons and celebrated the unity and rich cultural heritage of the Orthodox Christian community in London.

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On the evening of Sunday, 2nd March 2025, at the Holy Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom in Bayswater, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas presided over the Vespers of Forgiveness, marking the commencement of Holy and Great Lent. Joining His Eminence in prayer were His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Claudiopolis, along with the Very Revd Archimandrite Aimilianos Papadakis. Numerous clergymen from the greater London area also attended, as is customary for the start of Great Lent.

Following the Vespers, His Eminence addressed the congregation, extending his heartfelt wishes for a blessed and spiritually fruitful Lenten season. In his homily, he reflected on the profound significance of forgiveness in the life of an Orthodox Christian, encouraging all present to embrace this sacred time with humility, reconciliation, and renewed devotion.

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Lenten Vespers Sermon

“The Savior never demands pay, not from even one of those
who come to him,
because it is not possible to give a gift worthy of the cure;
therefore, they were becoming healthy for free.
But they gave the only things they were able to give:
tears instead of gifts. For tears are cherished, beloved and desired
by the deliverer.
The harlot is a witness to this and so is Peter,
David, and the Ninevites, because having only offered weeping,
they fell down before the Savior and he accepted their repentance.”

(On the Repentance of the Ninevites, Stanza 2, St. Romanos the Melodist)

The above passage is taken from the “Hymns of Repentance”, a small collection of Kontakia of St. Romanos. Those of you who know me well and follow my simple theological writings, know how important the poetic lines of the Melodist are to me. It is for this reason that I have chosen to share some thoughts with you, as we prepare to enter the Lenten season. In fact, we gathered this evening to begin the lenten journey together, as a family in Christ.

As you know, while we are called to continuously examine our lives, this is a special time of repentance. The Church summons all of us to walk a path of self-denial, so we can reach the glory and light of the holy Resurrection. It is a time of silence, prayer and spiritual struggle, as we hope to see the glory of the light that comes from the empty Tomb.

Too often in our lives as Chistians, we focus on the wrong things. This is so true in many aspects of our lives. One of the best examples is our understanding of the various lenten periods, and especially Holy and Great Lent. When we speak of the fast, our minds almost immediately go to food and dietary restrictions – something so far from the real meaning of the fast. Actually, as you may already know, to fast is not to eat at all. We, though, simply abstain from certain foods and have chosen to name this process “fasting”. I “gently” remind you that a diet will not save anyone; Jesus Christ came to save the world. As the Apostle to the nations reminds us, “the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14: 17). A perfect formula for us to follow these days is found in the Book of Tobit – “Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness”. This simple statement brings everything that is good, proper and necessary into one harmonious expression of life. In the writings of many of the Fathers and teachers we are instructed to fast and abstain from two types of foods – the foods which give us pleasure and the foods that have become idols for us. The Fathers of the Church teach us, saying “food is to be taken in so far as it supports our life, but not to the extent of enslaving us” (Philokalia, Vol. 1, pg 74). We must not become slaves to sin and not slaves to food, and not to allow the two to become one – food and sin. It is critical that we remember that our expression of fasting cannot stand alone and isolated from true Christian virtues and practices, as we heard earlier.

Please do not think that I believe we should ignore the summons and call to keep the fast. We must remember that the very first commandment given to us by God was one of fasting and obelince, as St. Basil the Great reminds us. God said that we should not eat of the fruit and because we were not obedient to His word and did not keep the fast, we lost Paradise. We are now called to fast and be obedient to the voice of Christ, Who instructs us with His example and His words.

Holy and Great Lent, though, has a much deeper meaning than that of a diet. As we begin this sacred journey and pilgrimage, we are called to look at our lives and reflect as to how we live, both as Christians and as human beings. We come to Church, we hear the readings, we listen to sermons and so much more and, yet, we fall short of the mark of true Christianity. Perhaps, this is so because of our human weaknesses and failings, or simply because of our lack of obedience to the message and teachings we have been offered. We all know the law of God; the question is, though, why do we stray so far from it? The time has come for us to examine our lives and see where we have strayed, as did the harlot, Peter, and so many others. It is time for true repentance. It is for this reason that the Apostle directs us saying, “let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom 13:11-12).

Lent is about change – it is about “metanoia” – it is about the change of mindset, change of understanding, change of thinking, change as to how we live. Because of God’s love and by our own repentance, we too can become “healthy for free”. We put away our old selves and are made whole and complete by our personal repentance and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, as did the prodigal son in the parable. It is the Spirit which heals that which is infirm and completes that which is lacking, as we read in the prayers of the Church. Of course, part of this process of spiritual healing is through the Mystery of Confession – that Sacrament which is so often forgotten and overlooked by many. We have become weary and tired because of our sins. Sadly, we do not recall that loving voice that said – “come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Mattew 11:28). Just as we go to our physicians to assist us in becoming whole and well, we must also seek the guidance and wisdom of a spiritual father who will cut away the diseases of our soul and offer us the proper medication that will help address the sins by which we have chosen to live. St. John of the Ladder instructs us “to make our confession to our good judge” (4:10) and to “show God our faith in our father (4:45). We are called to be obedient to him, for “from obedience comes humility – for in our humility the Lord remembered and redeemed us from our enemies”, as we hear in the book of Psalms (4:71).

This year, Lent can be a little different and more meaningful for each of us, if we so desire. But, it requires that we choose to undertake the journey and walk the path – to walk in the footsteps of the Saviour. We can choose to understand things as Christ and the Church desire – we can come to the feet of the Saviour and wet them with our tears and ask for His loving forgiveness. St. John of the Ladder tells us “as writing is washed out by water, so sins can be washed out by tears” (26:44). But, they must be tears of true repentance.

In a Kontakion found in a manuscript, which has as an acrostic – “a prayer of Romanos”, the noted Byzantine poet says:

“Many through repentance
were deemed worthy of your love for humankind.
You justified the publican who sighed and the harlot who wept;
for you foresee their purpose and grant the remission of sins.
With them, bring me back also, as one who has an abundance of
compassionate feelings, you who desire all people to be saved.”
(Hymns of Repentance, pg 111)

This is also, though, a chance for us to “mend the fences” and “tear down the walls” that separate us from others, and if I might dare say that even separate us from Christ, Himself. It is a time for us to become a true spiritual family and walk the path together, so our prayers become one voice, as we cry out to our Master – “Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us”. As the great ascetic and teacher reminds us – “Brother, you are not alone in your struggle . . For there are many others, who are struggling with you in their prayers “. Just as we gather this evening and are one voice and one heart, we are struggling together in our prayers and let us continue the sacred journey to Pascha together, united and as one family.

As I started with a few lines from St. Romanos, please allow me to close with a few lines, as well.

“O Son and Logos of God, Creator of all things,
we your unworthy servants ask and implore you,
have mercy on all who call upon you.
As you did the prodigal son, spare those who have sinned.
Accept and save through compassion
those who in repentance run to you, o King,
crying, “We have sinned.”

“Give us tears, as you did the harlot,
and forgiveness for the sins we have committed.
And, as you did the publican, take pity on us all,
through the intercessions of the Theotokos.
Make us partakers of your supper,
as you did the prodigal son, you the Master and Lord of the ages.”

On Sunday, 2nd March 2025, Cheesefare Sunday, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Holborn, London. Concelebrating with His Eminence were the Revd Archpriest Stéphane Maikovsky, Priest-in-Charge, and the Revd Protopresbyter Alexander Fostiropoulos, while the Revd Archdeacon George Tsourous and Revd Deacon Eugene Gafton also served.

Following the Liturgy, the community hosted a warm reception in honour of the Archbishop. The gathering featured homemade dishes generously prepared by members of the parish and maslenitsa pancakes, in keeping with Cheesefare Sunday traditions.

His Eminence greatly appreciated the visit, taking the opportunity to engage with the faithful and impart his blessings to the parishioners of Holborn.

On the evening of Sunday, 23rd February 2025, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas, hosted a formal dinner in honour of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniil of All Bulgaria at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

The gathering, held following the historic consecration of St. John of Rila Bulgarian Orthodox Church, was a moment of celebration, gratitude, and fraternal exchange. The evening brought together clergy and faithful from across Orthodox traditions, including the Bulgarian clergy of the Archdiocese, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as newly illumined Orthodox Christians and members of the local community who wished to pay tribute to the Patriarch.

In his address, Archbishop Nikitas expressed his deep respect for Patriarch Daniil, highlighting the shared spiritual mission of Orthodox communities in the United Kingdom and reaffirming the strong ties between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. His Eminence stressed the importance of unity in faith and the collective responsibility of Orthodox leaders in ministering to their flocks with love and dedication.

Patriarch Daniil, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the Archdiocese and Archbishop Nikitas for the warm welcome and hospitality, reflecting on the historic significance of the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in the UK and the role of Orthodox communities in strengthening the faith of their people.

The evening concluded with the exchange of gifts between the hierarchs. This special occasion further demonstrated the commitment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain to fostering inter-Orthodox unity, collaboration, and pastoral care for all Orthodox faithful in the United Kingdom.

On February 23, 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain participated in the consecration of the newly established St. John of Rila Bulgarian Orthodox Church in London. This significant event marked the inauguration of the first Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, fulfilling a long-held aspiration of the Bulgarian Orthodox community.

The consecration ceremony was led by His Holiness and Beatitude Patriarch Daniil of All Bulgaria, who was on his inaugural official visit abroad since his election in June. The church, situated within the premises of the Bulgarian Embassy in London, was filled with clergy and faithful from various Orthodox presence in the UK. Archbishop Nikitas concelebrated alongside Patriarch Daniil, Metropolitan Antonii of Western and Central Europe, Metropolitan Pahomii of Vidin, and other esteemed hierarchs. The service was conducted in both Bulgarian and English, symbolising the unity and inclusivity of the Orthodox faith.

The previous evening, Patriarch Daniil presided over the Vespers at the Church of St. John of Rila. In addition to the Bulgarian hierarchs, the service was attended by His Grace Bishop Nektarije of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of the UK, His Grace Bishop Irenei of the local ROCOR diocese and clergy from the Greek Orthodox, Antiochian, Serbian, and ROCOR dioceses. The gathering reflected the shared commitment of Orthodox communities in Britain to unity and prayerful cooperation.

In his address, Patriarch Daniil emphasized the church’s role as a spiritual haven and a center for uniting believers:

“From today on, this temple of God begins its actual blessed life, as a place for worship and prayers, as a spiritual oasis amidst the vanity of the world, and the spiritual heart of all our Orthodox fellow citizens here, who wish to participate in worship in their native language.”

The Great Vespers of Consecration was attended by representatives from various Orthodox Churches, including the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), as well as dignitaries such as the Lord Mayor of Westminster, officials from the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches, and members of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Corps.

The participation of Archbishop Nikitas in this historic occasion underscores the commitment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to fostering inter-Orthodox relations and supporting the spiritual needs of Orthodox Christians across the United Kingdom.

On Sunday, 16th February 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain attended the annual Lunar New Year’s Dinner graciously hosted by parishioner, Mr. Anthoy Ling at the New Fortune Cookie, London. A culturally and ethnically diverse group of Orthodox Christians consisting of clergy, laity, and catechumens gathered to celebrate the start of the new lunar year. This annual celebration demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain as well as its vision of cultivating unity in diversity throughout the United Kingdom.