Today, Tuesday, May 15, 2024, the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece convened, under the presidency of the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Mr. Ieronymos.

Initially, on the occasion of the recent conversion of the museum character of the Catholic Church of the Monastery of Chora into a Muslim Mosque, the Permanent Holy Synod expressed its strong dissatisfaction and concern over the decision of the Government of Turkey to convert, after the Hagia Sophia of Nicaea, the Hagia Sophia of Trebizond and the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, and the historical Christian Monument in question, from a World Monument of Cultural Heritage, in a symbol of power imposition and a point of division and disintegration.

Subsequently, after validating the Minutes of Authorization, the I.I.S. defined the Program of festive events for the celebration of the holy memory of Saint Paul the Apostle of the Nations, founder of the Church of Greece, as follows:

  • On Friday, June 28, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., in the Holy Church of Agios Paulos on Psaron Street in the city of Athens, the Solemn High Priestly Vespers will be held, at which he will officiate as a representative of the D.I.S. the Most Reverend Synod Metropolitan of Monemvasia and Sparta, Mr. Efstathios. During the Vespers service, the Panosiology Archimandrite Fr. Nikodimos Athanasiou, Second Secretary – Recorder of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, was appointed to speak.
  • On Friday, June 28, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., in the Cathedral of the Apostle Paul in Corinth, the Solemn Hierarchical Vespers will be held, presided over by His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Ieronymos, with the participation of Venerable Synod Metropolitans of the Church of Greece , on the occasion of the festive events, which are organized annually by the Holy Metropolis of Corinth, under the title “2nd Corinth Paulia 2024”. During the Vespers service he will speak as a representative of the D.I.S. the Most Reverend Synodal Metropolitan of Gortynos and Megalopolis Mr. Nikiforos.
  • On the morning of the Feast, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in the Holy Church of Agios Paulos on Psaron Street in the city of Athens, the Orthros and the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated, officiated by the Blessed Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Ieronymos, with the participation of Venerable Synods Metropolitan of the Church of Greece. During the Divine Liturgy, the Most Reverend Synodal Metropolitan of Ierissos, Mount Athos and Ardameri, Mr. Theoklitos, will speak.
  • In the afternoon of the same day at 7:00 p.m., on the Holy Rock of the Acropolis of ancient Athens, in commemoration of the Sermon of the Apostle Paul to the Athenians, a Great Solemn Vespers will be held, presided over by the Blessed Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, etc. Jerome, with the participation of the Venerable Synodal Metropolitans of the Church of Greece, Father Hierarchs and other Clergy, Monks and the faithful People.

Also during its Sessions the I.I.S.:

– Appointed to accompany His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Ieronymos to the anniversary events of the Holy Metropolis of Polyani and Kilkisio for the celebration of the Freedmen of the city of Kilkis, the Reverend Synod Metropolitans of Kitros, Katerinis and Platamonos Mr. Georgios, Mr. Elassonos and Mr. Hariton and Aetolia and Acarnania Mr. Damascenes.

– Approved, following its decision of 2 April 2024 and following the proposal of the Special Synodal Committee on Cultural Identity, the program of the two-day Scientific Conference on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The Conference in question will take place on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 December 2024, in the Event Hall of the Synod Hall of the Church of Greece and will have as its general theme: “The Orthodox Christian Tradition of Cyprus from the time of the Apostle Paul until today”.

– Appointed the Most Eminent Archimandrite Fr. Theologos Alexandrakis, Director of the Foundation for Pastoral Education of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, as its Representative in the Joint Working Committee for the achievement of the goals of the signed Memorandum of Cooperation for preserving the memory of the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism, between the Church of Greece, the 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.

– Informed by the Synodal Committee on Ecclesiastical Education and Training of Clergy about the final number of applications for registration in each Ecclesiastical Secondary Education School for the school year 2024-2025, as sent by the Directorate of Religious Education of the Ministry of Education, Religions and Sports.

Finally, the D.I.S. approved secondments of clergy and dealt with issues of Holy Metropolises and Synodal Committees, as well as current service issues.