The Evangelist is dated to the late 10th and early 11th century
One of the world’s oldest and best-preserved Greek manuscripts of the Gospels, written at the end of the 10th – beginning of the 11th century, which had been stolen, during the harsh period of the Bulgarian occupation, from the historic Holy Monastery of Panagia of Eikosifonissa in Pangaio, was returned ten days ago to its original owners after a long journey across the world.
It is the second handwritten relic to be returned to the long-suffering Holy Monastery following the repatriation in 2016 of a 9th-century manuscript of inestimable historical value, known as Codex 1424, held by the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Chicago.
With the handing over of that important relic by the then archbishop of America Dimitrios to the blessed Metropolitan of Drama Pavlos, the way was opened for the repatriation of other precious relics that were taken from the monastery of Ikosifinissa in 1917, where the miraculous Handmade icon of the Virgin Mary is kept.
During a press conference given by the overseer of the holy metropolis of Drama, Metropolitan of Xanthi and Peritherio Mr. Panteleimonasflanked by the abbess of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Eikosifonissa, nun Antonini and sister Isidora, who personally dealt with the return of the relic, did not hide the joy and satisfaction of the local church of Drama and the fraternity of the monastery for the important event of repatriation of such an important heirloom.
The new manuscript, with classification number 220, concerns a parchment gospel that had been missing for many years as it was not among the stolen relics kept in Sofia’s historical museum. The Evangelistarium was stolen, among other manuscripts and relics, from the holy monastery of Ikosifinissa in March 1917, during the First Bulgarian occupation, and is returning to its natural location by the voluntary decision of the Washington Museum of the Bible, in whose possession it has been since 2014 .
The Metropolitan of Xanthi made a special reference to the event of the relic being returned to its original owner, sending a message to the Bulgarian authorities underlining “let this event be a message for our neighbors, our co-religionists, the Bulgarians, to do what they are doing the Museum of the Bible, to return what they took to their natural place”.
The route of the sale of the unique heirloom
Referring to the route followed by the precious relic after the theft from the monastery, the reverend emphasized, among other things, that “the manuscript, numbered with code 220, the Evangelist dates back to the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th century. With auctions for a whole 100 years, it toured the countries of Europe, to end up in Washington in 2014.
In an auction held there it was taken by an institution, the Museum of the Bible. Since 2014 it has been owned by the Museum of the Bible, which has a partnership with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. They investigated its origin and after much research, it was found that it is Evangelist number 220, coded, of the monastery of Ikosifonissa.
The Museum of the Bible is in contact with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and in June 2020 it announces to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew that it intends to return this relic to its natural place, which is the monastery of Ikosifonissa.
Archimandrite Agathangelos Siskos, antiquities custodian of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and professor Mrs. Elisabeth Prodromou, who is an advisor to the Museum of the Bible, were involved, so that the Evangelist could be returned, repatriated to the Monastery. Already for 10 days the Evangelist has been in the monastery of Ikosifonissa”.
Official ceremony of delivery and reception
The official handing over of the relic is scheduled for next Thursday, September 29, at the Holy Stauropigian Monastery of Panagia Eikosifonissa in the presence of the Archbishop of America, Mr. Elpidophoros, who will represent the Ecumenical Patriarch and the president of the Museum of the Bible. The ceremony will include a thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary for the repatriation of the important relic, the signing of the delivery and receipt protocol and the exchange of greetings.
The overseer of the widowed metropolis of Drama, metropolitan of Xanthi, warmly thanked the president of the Museum of the Bible, the Ecumenical Patriarch, Father Agathangelos, the professor Ms. Prodromou, the metropolitan of Neapolis Mr. Varnavas, because he arranged for the transfer of the Evangelist from the airport of Athens until the relic was returned to the Monastery ten days ago and commemorated the blessed Metropolitan of Drama Mr. Pavlos, because as he pointed out “from 2020 until his graduation he had a close collaboration with the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the restoration, the repatriation of this relic of the holy monastery”.
The nun Antonini, in her statements, warmly and heartily thanked all those who contributed to the return of the relic, noting that “first of all, I would like to thank our Virgin Mary for bringing us this relic and enlightening all those involved”.
Following the invitation of the Metropolitan of Xanthi, present at the press conference, which was given in the renovated old Metropolitan Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos of Drama, were the mayor and the deputy governor of Drama.
RES-EMP
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
