The decision to celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy, on March 24, in the Catholic Church of the Holy Monastery of the Incarnate Petrakis, and not in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens as is customary, was decided today by the Permanent Holy Synod, which met under the chairmanship of Archbishop Hieronymos.

This decision is believed to be an indirect reaction of the church to the Greek parliament’s decision to pass the bill on marriage between same-sex couples. Essentially, with the decision, the Hierarchy puts “block” in political leadership, as the liturgy at the Petraki Monastery is not subject to protocol.

In fact, it is possible that the 12 Synodal Hierarchs and the Archbishop will respond negatively to the invitation for a ceremonial meal presented to them by the President of the Republic on Orthodox Sunday. In previous years, Archbishop Hieronymos and the Synodal Hierarchs met with the President of the Republic.

The announcement of the Permanent Holy Synod for the Sunday of Orthodoxy

Today, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece of the 167th Synodical Period convened, under the Presidency of the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Mr. Ieronymos.

The D.I.S. decided that this year’s celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, during the First Sunday of Lent, March 24th, will take place in the Catholic Church of the Holy Monastery of the Incorporeal Petrakis, officiated by the Synodal Metropolitans of Nicopolis and Preveza Mr. Chrysostomos, Ierissos, Mount Athos and Mr. Ardameri. Theoklitou and Maroneia and Komotini Mr. Panteleimonos. The solemn service of the day, as has already been set, will be delivered by the Synodical Metropolitan of Aetolia and Acarnania, Mr. Damaskinos.

During its Sessions, the I.I.S.:

– He was informed about the Letter of the Archbishop of Cyprus, Mr. Georgiou, referring to the completion of fifty years since the Turkish invasion of the Megalonis. The Archbishop and the Synod members expressed their solidarity with the Cypriot people, their suffering, but also their anguish because all attempts at a peaceful settlement have failed, resulting in the continued occupation of a large part of Cyprus.

– Decided on the designation of Synodical Metropolitans as the Escort of the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Ieronymos, during His visit to Kilkis, on June 21, 2024, due to the celebrations of the city’s Freedmen. He was also informed by the Metropolitan of Polyani and Kilkisi, Mr. Bartholomeus, about the celebratory events that will take place in Kilkis on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Holy Metropolis of Polyani and Kilkisi.

– He was informed by the Metropolitan of Maroneia and Komotini, Mr. Panteleimons, about the signing in Nicosia, on February 27, 2024, of the Memorandum of Cooperation for the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust and the fight against anti-Semitism, between the Church of Greece, which he represented, of Ministry of Education, Religion and Sports of the Hellenic Republic, the Church of Cyprus, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth of the Republic of Cyprus, the Central Jewish Council of Greece and the Jewish Museum of Greece.

– He was informed by the General Director of the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece, Metropolitan of Phanar, Mr. Agathangelos, about the decision of the Central Board of Directors of the Organization to organize, in October 2025, a Theological Conference on the occasion of the completion of 1700 years since the convocation of the First Ecumenical Council. The D.I.S. placed the Conference under its auspices and approved the appointment of the members of the Scientific Committee and the program of the Conference.

– He was informed by the Director of the Orthodox Center of the Church of Greece, Metropolitan of Thermopylae Mr. Ioannis, about the participation of the Orthodox Center, following a special invitation, as the sole Representative of Greece in the European Network of Distinguished Specialists against Antisemitism – The European Practitioners Network against Antisemitism (EPNA), which is a body that includes organizations from all over the European Union, but also beyond it, and is under the auspices and supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.

– Decided to publish, by the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece, the manual of the Primate of the Armenian Patriarchate of the Great House of Cilicia, Mr. Aram I, entitled “The Armenian Church”, which was translated into Greek by the Metropolitan of Nea Ionia , Philadelphia, Heraklion and Chalkidon Mr. Gavriel.

– He was informed by the Theophilus Bishop of Tanagra, Mr. Apostolos, Director of the Office of the Representation of the Church of Greece in Brussels, about the European Mental Health Programs, which will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

– Approved the proposal of the Synodal Committee on the Press, Public Relations and Enlightenment for the organization of the Eighth Day, with the aim of informing those in charge of the Press Offices, as well as other persons dealing with the communication of the Holy Metropolises of the Regions of Attica, North and South Aegean, which will take place in the Holy Metropolis of Peristeri, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

– Approved the proposal of the Institute for the Study of Digestive Neoplasms (I.M.NE.PE.), to place under the auspices of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece the Two-Day Conference entitled: “Surgical Gastrointestinal Oncology and Transplantation”.

Finally, the D.I.S. prepared the Supplementary Table of clerical candidates for registration in the List of those elected to the High Priesthood, approved the secondment of clerics and dealt with issues of Holy Metropolises and Synodal Committees, as well as with current service issues.

During the break of the Session, the General Director of the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece, Metropolitan of Phanar, Mr. Agathangelos, and the General Secretary of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Religion and Sports, Mr. Georgios Kalantzis, offered the President and the Members of the Permanent Holy Synod the book – aid for Primary and Secondary Education officials, entitled: “Teaching the History of Pontus”. The book was edited by the General Secretariat of Religious Affairs of the Greek Orthodox Church of Greece, the Pontic Studies Center of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece.

The Archbishop, Mr. Ieronymos, after thanking the Metropolitan of Fanarios and the General Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Church, described the book on the History of the Greek Sea as excellent and moving, which is the fruit of a loving collaboration between Church and State, stressing that is one of the educational books we need today more than any other time. He expressed the hope that this publishing effort will be a guide for the publication of other books, which will help in the teaching of History and other places of Hellenism.

From the Permanent Holy Synod

of the Church of Greece