On January 1, 2025, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew led the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church in the Phanar to celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ and St. Basil the Great.
Other bishops who participated in the liturgy included Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, Metropolitan Irenaios of Myriophyton and Peristasis, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra, Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, Metropolitan Joachim of Bursa, and Metropolitan Theodoros of Seleucia. Grand Ecclesiarch Gregory conducted the liturgy.
After the service, Ecumenical Patriarch delivered his New Year’s address in which he highlighted the significance of the day being both New Year’s Day and the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus Christ and St. Basil the Great. He also mentioned the upcoming 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea and the 60th anniversary of the mutual lifting of excommunications between Old and New Rome.
He also addressed global conflicts in regions like Ukraine and the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of promoting peace and justice in the world.
The efforts of religions in promoting peace today are closely tied to engaging in interfaith dialogue and collaborating for the greater good of humanity. This commitment was reiterated during a New Year’s Day celebration at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Archon John Demirtzoglou highlighted the importance of love, unity, and defending the mission of the Ecumenical Throne. The event reaffirmed the Patriarchate’s dedication to fostering peace, unity, and spiritual renewal, underscoring its role as a beacon of Orthodoxy and a proponent of global dialogue and reconciliation. Images from the celebration can be viewed above.
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