“All of us, like the Virgin Mary who as a mother mourned Christ, we mourn for these children of ours,” stressed the Primate of the Hellenic Church
In the presence of the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulouof the prime minister, Kyriakou Mitsotakissuperior of the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Jerome a Synodical Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of Orthodoxy and a memorial service for the dead of Tempe were held in the Holy Metropolitan Church of Athens.
The Metropolitans Chrysostomos of Eleftheroupolis, Pavlos of Servia and Kozani, Anthimos of Alexandroupolis, Varnavas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis, Markos of Chios, Psara and Oinoussa, Theoklitos of Stagion and Meteora, Chrysostomos of Mani, Simeon of Phthiotides, Larisa and Tyrnavos, Hieronymus of Kalavryton and Gymorios of Agialeia, collaborated and the chief secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, bishop of Oreon Filotheos.
At the end of today’s Mass, a memorial service was held for the Repose of the victims of the railway tragedy in Tempi. After all, a memorial service was held in all the temples of Greece.
“This year Holy Week came earlier… and there are no words to describe the human pain. And all of us, like the Virgin Mary who as a mother mourned Christ, we mourn for these children of ours”, emphasized the Primate of the Hellenic Church in an emotionally charged atmosphere, a few days after the tragic event that shocked the whole of Greece.
Additionally, he said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the train accident. We are living through a severe national calamity. This year we are living M. Paraskevi earlier. We all mourn the loss of these children.”
Addressing the families of the victims, he noted: “The only way to hug your children again is to believe that the last word is not death but resurrection. I kneel weak before you under the weight of this early parting.’
On behalf of the Permanent Holy Synod, Metropolitan Manis Chrysostomos expressed his deepest sorrow for the victims of the tragic train accident. Besides, he referred to the symbolism of Sunday of Orthodoxy, “the feast of the Orthodox Church throughout the world”.
The Holy Liturgy was attended by, among others, the president of the Hellenic Parliament, Konstantinos Tasoulas, the Ministers of Education and Religious Affairs, Niki Kerameos, Health, Athanasios Pleuris, the Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Angelos Syrigos, MPs, representatives of political parties, the the regional governor of Attica, Giorgos Patoulis, the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, the leadership of the Armed Forces and the Security Forces, heads of foreign diplomatic delegations in our country and a large number of people.
It is recalled that the traditional meal that the President of the Republic hosts for the Sunday of Orthodoxy at the Presidential Palace for the Synodal High Priests this year will not take place due to the train tragedy in Tempi.
Source: Skai
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