Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia attended the ordinations of a deacon and two priests in Västerås, Sweden, on January 19, 2025. The event was organized by Lutheran Bishop Mikael Mogren and was dedicated to the upcoming Ecumenical Week 2025 in Stockholm from August 20 to 24, where Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will participate.
After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Cleopas congratulated the Bishop and the newly ordained, conveying blessings from Patriarch Bartholomew. He also gifted them an icon and a book on the Patriarchal Visit to Stockholm in 2019. Additionally, he invited Bishop Mikael to the Divine Liturgy at St. George Cathedral of Stockholm on August 24, presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
During a panel discussion, the Metropolitan emphasized the importance of Inter-Christian Dialogue as a way to understand and share beliefs with other denominations. He quoted Christ’s teachings on unity within the Church and highlighted the Ecumenical Patriarch’s views on ecumenism and reconciliation.
The Metropolitan concluded by stressing the significance of Easter and the upcoming 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea as opportunities to work towards unity. Later that day, the Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne in the Northern Lands returned to his Eparchy in Stockholm.
