On the afternoon of Thursday, October 12, 2017, following the formal invitation of His Excellency Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, former President of Iceland, as well as the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of the country, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew departed for Reykjavík, Iceland, in order to speak at the 2017 Arctic Circle Assembly. During His All-Holiness’ visit to Iceland, he will meet with the country’s President, His Excellency Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, as well as the Prime Minister, His Excellency Bjarni Benediktsson. Additionally, the Ecumenical Patriarch will personally bless the Orthodox flock of the Metropolis of Sweden and All Scandinavia residing in Iceland.

Aside from His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, and the Very Rev. Archimandrite Alexander Loukatou, Presiding Priest of the Community in Oslo, the Patriarchal Delegation will consist of the Rev. Professor John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne, Mr. Petros Bazgarlo, from the Secretariat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and Mr. Christos Anastasiadis, from Athens.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will return to the Phanar on the evening of Sunday, October 15th.  In his absence, His Eminence Metropolitan Stefanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos will serve as the Patriarchal Vicar.