Archbishop of Finland: Visit to Lithuania aims to strengthen support for Orthodox Exarchate

Archbishop Elia of Helsinki and All Finland said that his visit to Lithuania was aimed at supporting the Orthodox Exarchate in the country and strengthening cooperation between the two Churches.

In a social media post on Thursday, September 17, Archbishop Elia said that, on the third day of his visit, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy at a Roman Catholic monastery where the Exarchate has been holding services for several years.

According to the Archbishop, the Liturgy was concelebrated by Bishop Panaretos, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania, together with local clergy, as well as Fr Mattis from Estonia and Fr Sergei from Ukraine.

Representatives of other Christian Churches were also present, including a Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop, the Apostolic Nuncio and a bishop and priest of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania.

Following the service, Archbishop Elia said he was interviewed by Lithuanian public television about the purpose of his visit and the life of the Orthodox Church of Finland. He added that the discussion also addressed what he described as the threat posed by Russia in the region.

Explaining the broader purpose of the trip,…