His Grace Varlaam of Ploiești, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop and Secretary of the Holy Synod, received a delegation from the Orthodox Church of Greece, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Theologos of Serres and Nigrita, at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest on Friday afternoon, December 6, 2024.
Bishop Varlaam warmly welcomed Metropolitan Theologos and expressed gratitude for the holy gift bestowed upon the Bărbătescu Vechi Parish in Bucharest: a relic of Saint Theodore Tyro, which will be enshrined in the parish church for veneration by the faithful.
Bishop Varlaam also emphasized the longstanding bonds of spiritual communion between the Romanian Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church of Greece, noting that a significant number of Romanian Orthodox Christians make annual pilgrimages to Greece’s holy sites, especially Mount Athos.
Metropolitan Theologos thanked Bishop Varlaam for the warm reception and commended the Romanian Orthodox Church for its extensive pastoral and missionary work. He described the Romanian Church as a vital bridge within the Orthodox world and a link between East and West. He also stressed the need for Orthodox Churches to bear a united witness in addressing today’s social and economic challenges.
The meeting concluded with a visit to the Patriarchal Cathedral by Metropolitan Theologos and the Greek delegation.
His Eminence Metropolitan Theologos was in Bucharest from December 5-7, 2024, to formally present the relic of Saint Theodore Tyro to the Bărbătescu Vechi Parish, part of the Fifth District Deanery of the Romanian capital.
Issued by the Department for Church, Interfaith, and External Community Relations.
Photo: Lumina Newspaper / Mihnea Păduraru
