On Monday, the newly elected Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland officiated the Vespers service in Italian at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, where the tomb of St. Paul the Apostle is located.
Numerous Romanian clerics from the Lazio region were part of the clergy assembly.
At the end of the service, His Grace delivered a speech in Italian and conveyed greetings from Bishop Siluan of Italy.
Representatives of civil and religious authorities from Rome attended the service, as did many faithful who venerated the tomb of St. Paul the Apostle at the end of the service.
Monday, January 20, 2025, Archbishop-elect Atanasie officiated the Orthodox Vespers Service in Italian at the Basilica San Paolo Fuori le Mura (outside the walls) in Rome, together with numerous clergy from the Lazio region.
🇬🇧 https://t.co/vEJZ28BWf4
🇷🇴 https://t.co/iy8RY857Fk pic.twitter.com/ZV0Nt4arav— Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of UK (@ROArchUK) January 22, 2025
Such services, organized annually since 2010 at the initiative of the Romanian Diocese of Italy, have become a tradition for the Orthodox believers in the region.
The full service from Monday evening can be viewed online.
The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, also known as the Basilica Without Walls, is one of Rome’s five ancient churches.
Photo: Diocese of Italy