ISTANBUL
A Divine Liturgy for St. Andrew was held Saturday at the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul to honor the founder of the Orthodox Church.
The service at the Aya Yorgi Patriarchal Church included scripture readings and hymns performed by the choir. Congregants lit candles and prayed during the service.
Following the liturgy, Patriarch Bartholomew thanked Pope Francis for his message, highlighting the fruitful outcomes of the Second Vatican Council’s efforts and emphasizing efforts to strengthen ties between sister churches.
Cardinal Kurt Koch, sent by the Vatican, read Francis’ letter, which noted his planned visit to Nicaea in 2025 and conveyed prayers for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and other conflict zones.
The service was attended by former Bulgarian prime ministers Kiril Petkov and Nikolay Denkov, as well as Zetta Makri, Greece’s deputy minister of education and religious affairs.
