Ecumenical Patriarch marks 1,400 years since first chanting of Akathist Hymn at Blachernae

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I prayed last Friday at the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople, marking 1,400 years since the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God was first chanted.

According to tradition, the hymn dedicated to the Mother of God was first chanted at the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople in 626, after the Byzantine army repelled a siege of the city.

To mark the 1,400th anniversary of the chanting of the Akathist Hymn, the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to organise a series of religious and cultural events throughout 2026 .

“Today, we have come once again to the historic Blachernae to conclude the festive cycle of these anniversary events, commemorating one of the most defining pages of the faith and history of our Nation. Here, at the Panagia of Blachernae, the City of Constantine found its salvation, not through the power of arms, but through the grace and protection of the Theotokos,” His All-Holiness emphasised.

Prayer for peace Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew drew a connection between the historic event and the trials facing humanity today, emphasising the need to pray for peace.

“We have come to ask for this intercession of the…