His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia is currently at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul as he participates in the Holy and Sacred Synod from 1 March to 31 August 2025.
On Sunday, March 9, Archbishop Makarios officiated at the 2nd Lenten Vespers of Holy and Great Lent at the venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George, at the Phanar.
Later, the Archbishop also took part in the celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy at the Holy See of the First-Throne Church of Constantinople.
The Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of Orthodoxy was presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, concelebrated by His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.
The service featured a sermon by Archimandrite Isidoros Katsos, Assistant Professor of Theological Epistemology and Philosophy at the School of Theology of the University of Athens.
A significant moment during the Divine Liturgy was the ordination of subdeacon Athanasios Karagiannidis to the rank of Deacon by the Patriarch. The new cleric, named Germanos, will serve in the Holy Metropolis of Ireland.
After the Dismissal, Patriarch Bartholomew, alongside Metropolitan Epiphaniy, celebrated the Trisagion for the repose of the souls of those who fought for the Orthodox faith.
Following the procession of the Holy Icons, the Patriarch and the Metropolitan blessed the faithful from the balcony of the Patriarchal House.
