NEW DEACON ORDAINED AT THE PATRIARCHATE
On the night of Friday to Saturday, the 13th to 14th/26th to 27th of December 2013, the recently tonsured monk Polycarpos was ordained deacon by the Elder Sacristan of the Holy Sepulcher, Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis. The ordination took place during a nocturnal divine liturgy in the Holy Sepulcher, in accordance to a decision by the Holy and Sacred Synod.
Prior to the ordination rite, His Eminence the Archbishop of Hierapolis addressed a speech to the ordained, saying among other things:
[…] “From a young age you have dedicated yourself to the service of your neighbour. Initially you devoted yourself to the service of your country, with zeal and self-sacrifice, emulating our heroic ancestors who fought and sacrificed themselves for the Holy faith of Christ and the freedom of our Homeland”.
“You were given the special honour of guarding the homeland from the sky. Your systematic study, thorough performance of your duties and impeccable ethos, promoted you to being responsible not only for governing an aircraft, but also for the rest of the crew and soldiers on board”.
“Yet, whilst flying through the blue sky, you yearned for the heavenly shrines, the kingdom of heaven, because “the glory of the celestial bodies is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another” (I Corinthians 15, 40) And once you discovered the “fine pearl”, namely our Lord Jesus Christ, “you went away and sold everything you had and bought it” (Matthew 13, 46). And you realized that everything that’s earthly is vain and brings confusion and grievance to man”.
“The Church is the only joy and elation, which akin to an arc, guides the faithful towards the ports of salvation. And you chose to abandon your successful secular path and devote yourself to the Holy Lands, knowing their special blessing from the Psalm: “For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath chosen it for his dwelling” (Psalm 131, 13).
[…] “Finally, your are called upon to emulate our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who willingly denied the earthly and secular power that the devil offered Him on the mount of temptations, ascended the Horrendous Golgotha and was crucified, becoming an exemplum of forbearance and tolerance towards His crucifiers. You too will “deny yourself and raise your cross and follow it”, carrying a positive hope, that after the Cross follows the Resurrection”. […]
Listening to His Eminence’s paternal advice, f. Polycarpos approached in piety and placed his head and hands on the stone rolled away by the angel during the Lord’s Resurrection and, praying, received the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, ordained to the first rank of priesthood, whilst the crowd cheered “Worthy he is…”
The procession was transmitted live on the Patriarchate’s Online Radio Station, see link: www.radio.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/en
At the conclusion of the divine Liturgy, the ordained hierodeacon, f. Polycarpos, hosted those honouring his ordination with their presence to a reception in the Office of the Elder Sacristan, Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis.
From the Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/FNvgQiE3Vhg