SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY AT THE PATRIARCHATE
On Sunday, the 7th/20th of March 2016, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Patriarchate commemorated the restoration of the icons by pious emperors Theodora Augusta and Michael in the year 843 AD following more than a century of merciless persecution against them.
Through the restoration of the holy icons, the Church attests to the incarnation, humanization and birth in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and to His appearance amongst men. According to the Fathers of the Church, denying the icons equals denying the presence of Jesus on earth.
A’ Vespers
This event was celebrated by the Church with the reading of the Ninth Hour at 2:00 pm at the monastic Church of Sts Constantine and Helen, followed by Vespers at the Church of the Resurrection, censing and veneration at the Apokathelosis and the Holy Sepulchre, as members of the Synod and Primates venerated at the Golgotha, amidst bells tolling.
After Vespers, the Patriarchal Entourage walked to the monastic Church of Sts Constantine and Helen.
B’ On feast-day
At 7:00 am of Sunday, the 7th/20th of March 2016, the Patriarchal Entourage, headed by Patriarch Theophilos, walked to the Church of the Resurrection.
Once His Beatitude, Primates and Priests were dressed in sacerdotal vestments, the divine Liturgy began at the katholikon, led by the Patriarch. Co-officiating were Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, Archbishops Dorotheos of Avila, Aristarchos of Constantina, Theodosios of Sebaste, Demetrios of Lydda, Makarios of Qatar and Metropolitan Joachim of Zambia, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, and Archimandrite Nektarios as head priest. Archimandrite Aristovoulos sang with pious pilgrim, novice Georgios, and others in the presence of the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, Mr Georgios Zacharoudiakis, as a great crowd of nuns, members of the Greek parish, the Arabic-speaking flock and pilgrims participated in piety.
The Apolysis was followed by a procession of the Holy Icons around the Holy Sepulchre and the shrines surrounding the katholikon, in declaration of their victory.
On the completion of the procession, the Patriarch read the Gospel on the Resurrection and the Synodicon of the First Sunday of Lent for the eternal memory of those who restored the Holy Icons and anathema against the iconoclasts.
At the Patriarchate, His Beatitude addressed guests in Greek, pointing out that “the restitution and veneration, hence the restoration of the Holy Icons marks a great event for our Orthodox faith in the Crucified and Resurrected Lord or better say God the Logos united in substance with our own human nature, as proclaimed by the Apostle Paul: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3, 16)”.
The Patriarch closed his speech by proclaiming “Eternal Memory!” for the followers of the holy icons.
From the Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/C8yOOCqXg-s
httpv://youtu.be/tNjLftPfSdw
httpv://youtu.be/aa0i9tKjtYg