The Metropolitan Bishop of Veria, Naousa and Kampania (Greece), Panteleimon, officiated on Wednesday the Holy Liturgy, at the Feast of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, the Fountain of Myrrh, surrounded by priests and deacons, in the Great Summer Altar of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, on which occasion he praised the great respect of the Romanian people and their devotion to the Orthodox faith, told Agerpres.
"We are particularly glad because, with our coming here, we have the opportunity to learn, once again, about the great respect of the Romanian people and their love for the Holy Church, for the saints of our Church, for the devotion of this people to the Orthodox faith, of its traditions worthy of honor and let us celebrate today the Great Martyr and Fountain of Myrrh, Saint Demetrius, the protector of the city of Thessaloniki, and tomorrow, the saint with the same name, the protector of you and of the people of Bucharest, our Pious Father Dimitrie Basarabov the New," the high Orthodox hierarch conveyed to the hundreds of pilgrims present on the Hill of Joy.
The Greek metropolitan bishop urged to live life according to the commandments of Christ, according to the model of the saints.
Panteleimon evoked the life of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, the Fountain of Peace, "the one with a great name", "a worker of miracles, a worthy laborer of the Lord's heavenly host" and recalled that he participated in the repatriation of his relics to Greece.
"After a period of almost eight centuries in which the holy relics of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius were forgotten in a foreign land, in the town of San Lorenzo in Campo (Italy), these return to their homeland, to Greece, firstly His Venerable Head, in October 1978, and then the other Holy Relics, in April 1980. Then, being vicar priest of the Metropolitan Church of Thessaloniki, I had the honor and privilege of interceding for their return from Italy, to Thessaloniki and to accompany them on the way back," said the metropolitan bishop.
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