The exhortation to pray for the situation prevailing in the Middle East was addressed to the faithful by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Hieronymos by I.N. Agios Dimitrios, where he officiated at Vespers, the eve of the feast of Agios Demitrios.

Besides, the Primate of the Hellenic Church spoke about Saint Demetrius, “a popular military saint who has been linked to the city of Thessaloniki because on the day of his memory the city was freed from slavery for more than 500 years”.

At another point in his speech, Archbishop Jerome referred to human selfishness to point out that everyone demands everything for himself and to emphasize that selfishness has become part of the way we exist, that is, without God. “And this way distorts everything and first of all the image of the real God. It would reduce our suffering if we recognized that all people have a right to life and its goods and understood that we are stewards of the earth and not its owners,” he noted.

At the same time, he emphasized: “Thus, in many parts of the world, as now in the Middle East, misunderstanding or even violence have caused a tragic situation. Civilians from both sides are impoverished, hostages of violence. We believe that only through dialogue can a minimal coexistence emerge.” He emphasized, in fact, that “as Christians we have a special sensitivity for the Holy Land region. They are places sanctified by the presence of Christ. With our Orthodox brothers, who are praised by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and especially His Beatitude Patriarch Mr. Theophilos”.

In addition, he stated that “Although we know that based on the words of Christ there cannot be a final peace on earth, this does not prevent us from praying for all people in the Middle East, Christians and non-Christians alike. The fact that in both old Patriarchates, Antioch and Jerusalem, our Orthodox brothers live, who are pressured and suffering, can help us to be more intense in our prayer”.

Finally, he wished “through the embassies of Saint Demetrius, that a way of understanding and communication be found, so that the people who are now experiencing the sufferings of war and conflicts can be relieved.”

After Vespers, the Archbishop referred to the parish of Agios Dimitrios of the Municipality of the same name and wished that there would be other parishes like this one.

The Archbishop was accompanied by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese, Archimandrite Varnavas Theoharis, Archimandrite Theologos Alexandrakis, director of the Foundation for Pastoral Education of the Archdiocese and Archdeacon Ioannis Boutsis.