Ecumenical Patriarch marks Romanian parish feast in Constantinople, honours modern-day martyrs

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I presided over the Divine Liturgy on Sunday for the patronal feast of the Romanian Church of the Holy Virgin-Martyr Paraskevi in Constantinople.

“With the certainty of this life and of the universal resurrection, we honour the memory of St Paraskevi, who suffered martyrdom for her faith in the risen Christ,” His All-Holiness said.

The Ecumenical Patriarch was welcomed at the church by Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallipolis and Madytos.

His All-Holiness spoke about the sacrifice of martyrs and confessors of the faith, stressing that the persecution of Christians continues to this day.

“Countless martyrs, from the Apostles to the Venerable Virgin-Martyr Paraskevi, whose holy memory we celebrate here today by God’s grace, were led to death because of their faith in the Risen Lord,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said.

New martyrs of the faith Patriarch Bartholomew noted that the struggle against the truth of the Gospel did not end with the first centuries of Christianity.

“Neros and Diocletians fought against Christians with fire, wild beasts and the sword. Even today, in many different ways and in numerous parts of the world, the war…