In the Homeric dialect and in twelve languages, a passage from the Resurrection Gospel was read at the Vespers of Love held on Easter Sunday at the Metropolitan Church of Agios Gregorios Palamas in Thessaloniki, pre-eminent of the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Philotheos and co-prayers of the Metropolitan pr. Thessaloniki Anthimos and the Bishop of Rigi Irenaeus.

According to tradition, the passage of the Gospel Reading was read not only in the original Greek text by Protodeacon Spyridon Karataidis, but also in a New Greek rendering by Metropolitan Philotheos, in the Greek Homeric dialect by the Choir of Priests of the Holy Metropolis under the direction of the Protopresbyter Nikolaou Hamamtzoglou, as well as in the following foreign languages: Latin by Archimandrite Konstantinos Fountoukidis, French by Archimandrite Methodius Alexiou, Icelandic by Archimandrite Eusebius Nakopoulos niece Paul Friday, Georgian by Archpriest Georgios Maturelli, Albanian by Archpriest Artemios Tsitsis, Turkish by Archpriest Michael Manos, Romanian by Oicon. Alexander Nikolaou, Luganda by Elder George Balinya and Ukrainian by Deacon Dimitrios Rudko.

“The Gospel is universal”

“The Gospel is read in as many languages ​​as we can this day. It is an attempt by our Church to show in this way, through language, that the Gospel is universal and concerns all people, in all the lengths and breadths of the world” the dean of the Aristotle School of Theology points out to APE-MPE University of Thessaloniki, Professor Chrysostomos Stamoulis. According to him, “Christ may have lived in a specific place, but the Gospel can be incarnated in any culture.”

With references to Grigorios Palamas, the Resurrection Encyclical of Metropolitan Philotheos

After all, references to Gregory Palamas were contained in the Resurrection Encyclical of Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki, which was read after the reading of the Gospel of the Resurrection ceremony, at the Resurrection Divine Liturgy, early on Easter Sunday. “The truth of the Resurrection is the most important message ever given to man and to the world; death is abolished, death is no more. ‘Christ is Risen’ and life reigns. Our Saint of Thessaloniki and Archbishop of Thessaloniki Gregory Palamas says in this regard: ‘The Resurrection of the Lord is a renewal of human nature, it is revival and regeneration and a return to immortal life'” it was characteristically noted.

At the same time, the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki emphasized: “this life of immortality, the life of the Resurrection that Christ talks about and offers us does not only concern the soul. The whole man will be resurrected, with his soul and body. Let us remember that Christ after His Resurrection, with His body appeared to His disciples. And they touched Him, palpated Him, made sure that He was not a ghost. Only His body was no longer subject to decay, nor to the limitations of matter and time. Christ calls us to this life of Resurrection: life of incorruption, life of immortality, life not imaginary, but fully human and full of the glory of God”.

After all, conveying the Resurrection message, he said: “we glorify our Risen Christ for this beneficence, for this philanthropic offering. Christ redeems us from death, takes away all sorrow, fills us with joy. We live this joy of the Resurrection in the Body of the Holy One, the Church”.