Today, Monday, May 4, 2026, the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece convened in the framework of its 169th Synodal Period. The sessions were presided over by His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece.
The Holy Synod, after approving the Minutes of Authorization, set the program of festive celebrations for the commemoration of the holy memory of the Holy Apostle of the Nations Paul, founder of the Church of Greece, as follows:
a) On Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Holy Church of Saint Paul on Psaron Street in Athens, the Festal Hierarchical Vespers will be celebrated, presided over as representative of the Holy Synod by His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida. During the service, Archimandrite Sebastianos Somarakis, Secretary of the Ecclesiastical Synodal Courts, will deliver the sermon.
b) On the same day, Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Corinth, the Festal Hierarchical Vespers will be celebrated, presided over by His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, with the participation of Holy Synodal Metropolitans, on the occasion of the annual celebrations titled “Pauline 2026,” organized by the Holy Metropolis of Corinth. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras will deliver the sermon on behalf of the Holy Synod.
c) On the morning of the feast day, Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Holy Church of Saint Paul in Athens, Matins and the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated, presided over by Archbishop Ieronymos, with the participation of Holy Synodal Metropolitans. Metropolitan Irenaeus of Florina will deliver the sermon.
d) On the evening of the same day, at 7:00 p.m., on the Rock of the Areopagus in ancient Athens, in remembrance of the preaching of the Apostle Paul to the Athenians, a Great Festal Vespers will be celebrated, presided over by Archbishop Ieronymos, with the participation of Synodal Metropolitans, bishops, clergy, monastics, and the faithful.
Additional decisions of the Holy Synod:
-Approved the holding of the 4th Panhellenic Conference of Camp Leaders of the Church of Greece (June 3–5, 2026, Chalkida, Holy Metropolis of Chalkida).
-Approved the 36th Pan-Orthodox Consultation on Heresies and Parareligion (Nov. 3–5, 2026, Corinth) on the topic: “Magic, Divination, Astrology, Futurism.”
-Approved environmental and ecological initiatives, including conferences and scientific meetings (June and September 2026, including events in Attica and Evros, with focus on the Dadia Forest).
-Approved an academic conference on “Ecclesiastical Secretariat and Sports” (Nov. 27, 2026).
Was informed about incidents against religious sites in Greece during 2025.
Approved the creation of an International Forum on the Ontology of Technology, organized by the journal Theologia, gathering global scholars to study the impact of digital technology on humanity.
-Appointed Archimandrite Epiphanios Theodoridis as Protosyncellus of the Holy Metropolis of Polyani and Kilkis.
Was informed about the annual scholarship “Adamantios Augoustidis.”
Placed under its auspices a theological conference of the Panhellenic Association of Theologians on Orthodox Religious Education (September 2026).
-Approved clerical transfers and handled various administrative and synodal matters.
