Yesterday, on April 25, our beloved Elder, His Grace Bishop Partenij of Antaniа, together with members of the brotherhood, was granted the blessing of a cordial reception by His Eminence Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy and Southern Europe. The meeting took place at the offices of his seat at the Orthodox Cathedral Church in Venice, dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer. This sacred and magnificent temple holds particular historical significance, as it is regarded as the first Orthodox church in the West following the Great Schism.
The Elder was welcomed with genuine evangelical hospitality and fraternal love. In an atmosphere marked by warmth and spiritual depth, greetings, reflections, and heartfelt wishes were exchanged, focusing on unity and the witness of the Orthodox faith in the contemporary world. The Sacred Metropolis of Italy also reported on the visit through its official Facebook page.
Subsequently, accompanied by the rector of the church, His Very Reverend Archimandrite Vissarion, who kindly served as our guide, the Elder and the brethren venerated the great holy relics preserved in Venice. Among them are the honorable relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, Saint John the Merciful, the Holy Prophet Zechariah—the father of Saint John the Baptist—Saint Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople, the Holy Martyr Theodore the Recruit, our Venerable Father Paul of Thebes, companion of Saint Anthony the Great, and many other saints who have pleased God.
This blessed pilgrimage stands as yet another living testimony to the unbroken spiritual unity of Orthodoxy, which—despite historical divisions and geographical distances—continues to bear witness to the same faith, the same grace, and the same Tradition: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
