In Tenedos is Nikos Androulakis to attend the Thiruvanship of the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, danced by the Ecumenical Patriarch. Bartholomew. In the morning, PASOK president attended the Divine Liturgy and in his greeting immediately afterwards, he noted:

“With a sense of respect and emotion, I am among you in an important context, as the afternoon will become the throat of the renovated temple of the Assumption that marks and the” resurrection “of the Tenedos Romans.

The re -life of this sacred temple is an act of memory and the future. Because through this particular work we are renowned that even the smallest, most remote cranes of Hellenism and Orthodoxy remain alive, thanks to the perseverance, love, sacrifices and dedication of people. “

Mr Androulakis added that this is extremely important, especially in an international environment, where several Orthodox communities are under persecution.

“I know, of course, the difficulties here, in Tenedos: Obstacles of the Turkish government in the inheritance rights of the Greeks, absence of school and ferry connection. All of this makes it difficult to return families to the island, “he noted and stressed:

“Despite the adversity, however, I would particularly want to attribute the credit to the Ecumenical Patriarch, who with his prestige and wisdom, is tirelessly serving the preservation of these sacred places -which are also places of his own, as a native -Imbrian. His presence here sends a message of time and circumstances. “

The PASOK-KINAL president emphasized that “this message arrives everywhere: where there is faith, historical consciousness, a spirit of cooperation and a collective effort, nothing erases. Neither humans, nor temples, nor memory.

So let this small island become a big shining example for all of us who have a duty to safeguard its identity, to defend with mutual respect for the rights, the religious and cultural heritage wherever it is found. “

He assured that he would remain a helper in any attempt to preserve and strengthen the spiritual and historical bonds of Hellenism, Orthodoxy and Rome with their birthplace, always on the basis of international law and in the observance of the Treaty of Lausanne.

He expressed hope in the coming years, for Tenedos to fill even more with Greeks who want to live here permanently to inaugurate a new school – as it was in Imbros a few years ago. “A little miracle that, if we try collectively, can repeat! With optimism and faith, I wish health, peace and prosperity to all of you, “he noted.

For his part, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was particularly high in the welfare points of the times as “Tennedos now has its renovated temple, whose doorbells will be performed tonight. There are positive prospects for increasing the number of expatriates on the island, “while also noting that today’s Agia Paraskevi festival acts as an invitation for the Tennes.

Addressing the leader of the opposition, Mr Bartholomew warmly thanked him for his presence, which he said “reminds us of his place of origin, the high -profile and generous Crete”.

In the afternoon, Mr. Androulakis will attend the Thirads of the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, which and its trademark -its 28 -meter bell tower -date back to the 19th century.