Metropolitan Gortynos Nikiforos at the 114th Eleftheria of Giannitsatranslated

The 114th Eleftheria of the city of Giannitsa from the Turkish yoke was celebrated under the leadership of the Venerable Metropolitan of Gortynos and Megalopolis Mr. Nikiforos. On Tuesday, October 20, 2026 in the morning, in the historic church of the Dormition of the Virgin (Metropolis), where the victory chants were chanted for the first time, the Orthros of the feast of the Holy Great Martyr Artemios and the Holy Gerasimos of Kefallinia was celebrated. Metropolitan Gortynos, who then celebrated the solemn Divine Liturgy and preached the divine word.

On the occasion of the church holiday and the national anniversary, His Eminence emphasized the connection of the church holiday with historical memory and gratitude to the fighters of the homeland. Inspired by the apostolic reading, he used the images of the soldier, the athlete and the farmer to describe the spiritual and daily struggle of the Christian: The soldier devotes himself to his mission, remaining unaffected by interests and fear, like Saint Artemios. The athlete fights with rules and humility, overcoming his ego. The farmer endures and toils consistently until the effort bears fruit...