Photo: Nikos Magginas / Ecumenical Patriarchate
In a touching atmosphere the feast of Agia Marina in the celebrating Metropolitan Church in the village of Kastro of Imvros………
"For all of us Imbrians, the homeland lost in the waves of the North Aegean is the whole world. Despite the untold sufferings, Imbros survived. The Imbrians, here and abroad, they kept their identity intact. But the fight is not over. Vigilance is required. And in the future, sacrifices will be needed so that everything is not lost,what lived for many centuries and was in danger of disappearing after dark 1964 and now it comes to life again. We all continue together. No one is left over. Imbros belongs to those who belong to it "stressed the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in his speech, after the Divine Liturgy, during which he officiated, today, Friday, 17 July, day that our Church honors the memory of Agia Marina, in the celebrating Holy Temple, at the Castle of Imvros.
"The popular Saint Megalomartys Marina to transmit to everyone the unfading light of Christ, to intercede with our Savior to give us health and every blessing from above, and to protect our island, our island that we love more than ourselves and care about. Because we come and go, while Imbros is destined to live for centuries ".
His Holiness referred with warm words to the new Archbishop of the island, Metropolitan of Imbros and Tenedos Cyril, whose enthronement will take place tomorrow, Saturday, to I.. Metropolitan Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, in the capital of the island, Virgin, and pointed out that Mr.. Cyril, "He knows and loves his Province and its people, and we are all sure, that with his arrival here begins a new creative and corrective period in the life of the Imbrians ".
In his speech, the Patriarch, reminded that the church of Agia Marina was a Metropolitan Church until the beginning of the 20th century, when the seat of the Diocese was transferred to the Virgin Mary, administrative center of the island.
"This beautiful church has been a victim of the tragic adventures that our island has experienced in recent decades.. Kastro is the first village of Imvros, which was abandoned by its native inhabitants. On the night of July 20th 1974, the Kastrinos were violently expelled by settlers, who occupied and looted their homes. Along with the whole settlement, this church of Agia Marina was desecrated and turned into a barn. A monument had this tragic end, in which many early Christian sculptures are incorporated, columns, capitals, shields and more, which compose a unique testimony of how the old temples of the island were decorated.
A few years ago, This temple was renovated at the expense of the Turkish State, because it is an occupied Temple, Mazbut, and since then we can operate it, by simply stating it to the Authorities. Of course and certainly it would be much preferable, better than being renovated by the Local Authorities, the Temple had not been desecrated, had not been destroyed, the Castle had not been forcibly evacuated by the ancients, genuine, its traditional inhabitants, but in any case, better that it is as we see and operate it today the Church of Agia Marina, rather than as a stable and barn as many of us remember it. I always came and chanted the apology of Agia Marina and I was deeply saddened to see the collapse of the old Metropolitan Church of our island, and the day came on which it was prepared and may the day not be delayed on the day when the administration and management of this Temple will be returned to our element, which means that he will have the right to regain his own ecclesiastical Committee and everything,what assets does this Commission have to manage, which will emerge from democratic elections. What we expect not only for our occupied Vakoufia, as here is the Castle, St. Barbara in Eulabio, and many, around 25 Our Churches and Institutions in Istanbul, not only in these so-called Mazbut Vakufia, but to allow elections, which have been arbitrarily banned for the last six or seven years, not only for the Roman Community of our country, but also for Armenians and Jews and other minorities ".
The Patriarch also spoke about the piety of the inhabitants of the Castle, but also the whole of Imvros, who erected beautiful Temples and innumerable chapels. He reminded, that the Imbrians have dedicated two parish temples to Agia Marina, of the Castle and of Schinoudi, while from the other seven parish Churches, the five are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, one in Agia Varvara and one in Agios Georgios.
"Like all Orthodox Christians, so do we Imbrians, we feel the Saints familiar, our friends and protector. Their temples and chapels, their sacred images and relics convey the grace of Christ, they support us, they cure us, they renovate our lives. We invoke them in our sorrows, we glorify them and thank them in our joy. They intercede for our Lord and God for our salvation. They hold our confidence that evil, in any form, does not have the last word in history ".
In his speech, he also referred to the Trisagio that he performed before the Dismissal, in memory of the last two Priests of the Castle, "Of Father Patrick, who was also the spiritual, the confessor of the Holy Metropolis, on Elder Melitonos », and in memory of p. Dimitriou, "Who saw it close, to be desecrated, to demolish the Church of Agia Marini, and hand over the baton to his unknown successor ". He wished, in fact, to appoint a new pastor in Agia Marina soon, and operate on a permanent basis, and acquire again, he repeated, "Its ecclesiastical committee, to have its assets, to have all the democratic freedoms and religious freedoms that are provided for and taken for granted for a democratic country, as our country is ".
Concluding his speech, His Holiness referred to the presence of the Most Preacher, K. Panaretou, whom he thanked "because he brought a part of the Russian-speaking flock of our city, from the Vatopedino metochi of Agios Andreos which is in Galatas, and in which Metochi himself is on duty, and to congratulate him because for the last few years the Mother Church has entrusted him with the pastoral care and care of the Slavic-speaking Community, was able to organize our brothers, especially at this time of crisis in the relations of our Patriarchate with the Patriarchate of Russia, and make them nice trips every year, pilgrimages, in Mytilene, in Meteora, this time here in Imvros. Father Panarete Worthy! Continue to protect them, to shepherd our brothers with affection, and make them proud because they belong to our Ecumenical Patriarchate ".
Previously, His Holiness was addressed by the Metropolitan of Imvros and Tenedos Cyril, who welcomed the Imbrian Patriarch, on behalf of the flock and the pilgrims, with heartfelt reasons and wished Agia Marina to always protect the faithful people of the island of Eratin and to drive away all evil from this blessed and martyr place.
The bishops of Therma, Demetrios and Amori Nikiforos, went to church, clergy from Greece, Lords of the Ecumenical Throne, representatives of Imbrian Associations, faithful from the island and the City, but also Imbrians who traveled from abroad to participate in the joy of the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Imbros.
On the eve of the feast, His Holiness was present praying, from the Holy Step, in M.. Vespers performed at the celebrant I.. Church of Agia Marina Schinoudi, during which Theophilus officiated. Bishop of Bodrum Mr.. Hadrian.