THE FEAST OF THEOPHANY AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Thursday, January 6/19, 2023, the solemn ceremony of the Feast of the Epiphany took place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The service began with the veneration of the Deposition slate and the Holy Sepulchre by the Head of the feast, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, the High Priests and the Priests.

Afterwards, while the floats were struck, the Fathers-members of the Holy Synod venerated the Horrendous Golgotha, the Priests received His Beatitude’s blessing to participate in the Liturgy and His Beatitude and the High Priests were dressed in their vestments.

After these had been completed, the service of the Great Sanctification of the Water began in the Catholicon of the Church of the Resurrection under His Beatitude, at the chanting of Hierodeacon Simeon and Mr Vasilios Gotsopoulos, as the service was attended by a large crowd of faithful Christians.

This service was followed by the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom at the Holy Sepulchre, which was officiated by His Beatitude with the co-celebration of their Eminences, the Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the visiting from the Church of Greece, Metropolitans Antonios of Glyfada and Timotheos of Thessaliotida and Fanariofersala, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina. The service was attended by the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras and the Consul Ms Zacharioudaki along with a multitude of pilgrims.

After the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude sanctified the people with the Holy Cross which contains the Holy Wood, and with the Sanctified water.

After the dismissal, the Patriarchal Entourage ascended to the Patriarchate, where His Beatitude prayed for the grace of the Christ who appeared in the Jordan and again sanctified the people who had come.

From Secretariat-General