Ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew and new Constantinople exarch to visit Vilnius

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I will visit Lithuania on June 7, accompanied by the newly appointed Exarch of Lithuania, Bishop Panaretos Psaravtis, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Lithuania announced on Monday.

According to the statement, Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit comes at the invitation of Roman Catholic Archbishop Gintaras Grušas to participate in the Congress of Mercy. The Orthodox Christian community in Vilnius will hold a divine liturgy with the patriarch and the new exarch at 9:00 AM on June 7 at the Holy Trinity Church in Trinapolis (Verkių St. 70), followed by a meeting with the congregation.

Bishop Panaretos Psaravtis, elected as the new exarch on May 26, was born in Chania, Crete, and has served in the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s parishes with Slavic and Turkish Christian communities. Ordained a monk in 2002 and a priest in 2003, he began his ministry in the Metropolis of Rethymno and Avlopotamos in Crete before being called to Constantinople in 2014. He was awarded the title of Archimandrite in 2010 and Great Preacher (Megas Ierokyrix) in 2016 for his service.