The Didymoteichos honored the holy offspring of the city.translated

The birthplace of the Didymoteichos, the Castropoliteia of Didymoteichos, honored with great reverence the memory of her holy offspring, Ioannos Doukas Vatatzes, the compassionate king of Nicaea (1193-1254), who devotedly served his subjects, defending their faith in Orthodoxy, encouraging Hellenic education, fighting for the recovery of the occupied lands of the Byzantine Empire, creating conditions for the economic revival of the state and its self-sufficiency, and being a benefactor and savior to the poor and destitute citizens of the city. During the sacred services, on the evening of the 3rd and the morning of the 4th of November, that is, the Evening of the Panegyric and the Morning of the Orthros and the feast of the Divine Liturgy, in the famous Enoriake Church of the city of Didymoteichos, presided the Venerable Metropolitan of Artis, His Beatitude Kallinikos, in the absence of the resident Metropolitan Damaskinos, who was in Athens due to his synodal duties.

The Venerable extolled the virtues of the Holy Ioannos, the compassionate king, emphasizing the deep historical and spiritual connection of Didymoteichos with Artis. He spoke extensively about the contemporary Queen of Artis, Theodora, …