Yours All-Holiness, Father and Master,

With deep emotion, all of us, my littleness, the Auxiliary Bishop, the holy clergy and the chosen people, your spiritual children, welcoming your august Patriarchal blessing, for the sanctification for the second time of this holy dwelling of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia, which is the property of our Ecumenical Patriarchate and the see of the bishop, acquired in the year 2018, thanks to the many efforts of my wise predecessor Sotirios. Today you have come to its “opening of the doors”, after its needed renovation, and for now on it will be used as the see of the ruling Bishop and other exclusively ecclesiastical uses.

The pastoral, ecclesiastical and missionary work of our Holy Metropolis continues with many blessings; and this building, now renovated, will become the spiritual center of our Orthodox ecclesiastical life and witness.

Our Holy Metropolis, with the blessings and prayers of Your Divine All-Holiness, carries out a multifaceted missionary and educational work in various ways and methods and through its website in five languages, Greek, Turkish, English, Russian and Ukrainian. Each parish conducts catechism for adults and young children.

In this building, meetings and conferences will be organized, catechetical work will be carried out, Bible study will be conducted, and the choir and our Philanthropic Brotherhood and all our activities will be hosted.

Bless, Your All-Holiness, our work and its contributors, named and anonymous benefactors and donors who contributed to the execution of the work. Bless all of us, the Archpastor, the holy clergy, the faithful Orthodox people of all nationalities. May our work continue without fail, successfully and without obstacles. Your All-Holiness is aware of the recent problems that have arisen. Remember our deceased fathers and brothers in whose footsteps we are following.

We assure you that we will continue our struggle and ministry with all our strength. Bless through this sacred ceremony this historic place of sacrifice and witness of our People and of the Orthodox Christians in general. Strengthen us with your Patriarchal and paternal prayers and blessings.

We all offer you our gratitude and thanks for all that you do for our Metropolis and for the inheritance of your Throne here, and we pray: For many years, Most Holy Father and Master! Εἰς πολλά ἔτη, Παναγιώτατε Πάτερ καί Δέσποτα!

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Your All-Holiness, Father and Master,

For another sacred day we warmly welcome you in the city of Attalos, in the city of the Holy Apostle Paul, who enlightened the inhabitants of this region and nurtured them the holy Christian faith and gave us an inheritance and a hope, which cannot be taken away.

The Holy Apostles Paul and Barnabas are the founders of our local Church. On this foundation the Ecumenical Patriarchate built the “stone of faith”, our Lord, in the hearts of many, who rested in the Lord, and who are always alive. Here was heard the holy preaching and shined the unfading light for centuries, until the tragic year 1922. Here God was worshipped, as the Apostles, the Fathers of the Church and our Saints have preached, and as my predecessors, the notorious hierarchs of blessed memory, the pious clergy and the faithful Orthodox people have cultivated. The witness, the history and the light of our pious Christian people shined.

On this high mountain of the Mediterranean Sea from the era of the Roman Empire until the tragedy of Asia Minor, and since then, from the silence of the Orthodox voice until the first decade of 21^st century, prevailed the “martyrdom of silence”, according to the late spiritual father of your All-Holiness, but rose the “light of expectation and hope”, as he has as well said.

But when the fullness of time had come, thanks to the foresight, affection and solicitude of Your All-Holiness, the dry root slowly began to blossom, the dead bones and remains began to gain life by the almighty grace of God, the hope was reborn, from the ruins and the darkness of this great disaster rose from the temporary grave as another “Life in the Grave”, the Resurrection, the Light, the Peace. The ruins were really numerous. Unfortunately, the luminous Tziko-Panagia and the holy church of Saint Nicolas remained unchanged, remaining in ruins, this “obscure light hidden under the measure”, waiting the rise from the long and opaque immortal night, which lasted a century.

Of course it is not by chance that the only Orthodox church functioning today in Antalya is dedicated to Saint Alypios. Also, it is certainly not by chance that this church was not only rescued, but also, thanks to Your All-Holiness, became the center of the Orthodox life and witness in the blessed city of Antalya. It is not by “chance” but in a blessed “time” that today, under Your All-Holiness, as the new “founder” of this church, we celebrate and commemorate the 180^th anniversary of the edification of this holy church of Saint Alypios the Stylite by its famous first founders Eustratios, Kyriakos, Ephraim and Dimitrios Danielides.

This holy Orthodox church is the only one, which was rescued among the ten magnificent churches, which existed. And it has been acquired thanks to the foresight of Your All-Holiness, with the caring love and solicitude of my predecessor, Metropolitan Sotirios, of blessed memory, for whom not only the faithful people, but even the stones of this Holy Metropolis cry his eternal memory, and for whom the gratitude of all of us cannot be expressed by words.

The city of Antalya, “bathed in the blood of heroes and martyrs”, and the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia, the clergy and the laity, welcome you to the Orthodox presence reborn from its ashes, in this holy church, where “the sorrow stopped” and “the curse has been broken”; and functions the church, which “was bought at a price”, at a great spiritual and material price, through many sacrifices of the Sacred Center of Orthodoxy and of you personally, Your All-Holiness.

Your All-Holiness, Father and Master,

At the great moments of life, of the missionary journey of the Orthodox Church, always witnessed in various testimonies, and her service in the world, in her historical witness, the words certainly do not express the reality. An eloquent silence is rather imposed.

In silence, then, before the incomprehensible mystery of God that unfolds before us and with humble prayer we celebrate this event and we – myself, my auxiliary Bishop Ambrosios of Eudokiada, the reverend clergy, fathers Konstantin Shevchenko, Ioann Koval and Gregory Okhanov, and especially the numerous Orthodox people from various nationalities and tongues, – welcome Your All-Holiness, our Father and Master, who presides at this historical panegyry, and in a mute silent prayer we all pray: to Your All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the “new founder” of our holy church, which gloriously celebrates its anniversary, may God grant many years. Amen.

And now, Your All-Holiness, bless the work of your hands and your thought, and all of us, who are waiting to hear your wise words.

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Of His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia,

Hypertimos and Exarch of Side and Antalya

Unto the Reverend Priests and Deacons and the Pious Faithful of the Holy Metropolis of Pisidia.

Beloved Fathers, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem. Today he who is without beginning begins to be, and the Word is made flesh. The Powers of heaven rejoice, and earth with mankind is glad. The Magi offer gifts; the Shepherds proclaim the marvel, while we cry aloud without ceasing: ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth; good will among men’ (Lk. 2:14)” (Lauds of the feast).

From year to year, this angelic song resounds on this blessed day of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, reminding all humanity of the good news of salvation. From year to year, this song brings a glimmer of hope to humanity which continues to be tormented. From year to year, this song sets a tone of joy to human torments and tragedies. From year to year, the Church celebrates with joy and solemnity the nativity in the flesh of the Son and Word of God in this world filled with war and violence, He who comes to give us peace, as predicted in a divinely inspired way by the holy prophet Isaiah: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6).

In our divine services, the hymnographer rightly crays to our Merciful Lord: “as you are God of peace and Father of mercies, you have sent us your Angel of great counsel, who grants us peace; so we are guided by the knowledge of God, watching before dawn we glorify you, only lover of mankind” (Canon of the feast, Ode 5). However, one may wonder where is this peace that the Son and Word of God brought more than two thousand years ago?

The mystery that we celebrate on this day is that of reconciliation between God and humanity. Man’s sin had made humanity an enemy of God. However, the incarnation of the Son of God came to restore the abyss that had opened up. The death and resurrection of Christ restores humanity‘s relationship with God and restores peace between creature and Creator, a deep and lasting peace that no one can take away. As the Prince of Peace tells us: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

The Son of God is incarnate to bring us eternal peace by granting us new life through the gift of the Holy Spirit. If we truly accept this great gift from God, then our lives will necessarily be transformed and filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). If we sincerely love God, if we are truly filled with his spiritual joy, and if we are truly at peace with him, then our relationships with others are bound to be transformed.

As St. Seraphim of Sarov once stated, “acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” A genuine Christian cannot approve any use of violence or abuse on any creature. Genuine Christians should unequivocally condemn violence of any kind. Genuine Christians should always protect the vulnerable, prevent violence and promote peace among persons and between peoples. For peace is the restauration of creation its true form, as God fashioned it in his eternal counsel. Peace is the very presence of God among us.

With these thoughts, I cordially congratulate you with the feasts of the manifestation of the Lord on earth, asking him to fill us with his unconditional and boundless love and peace. 

Antalya, Christmas 2023

+ Job of Pisidia

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