On the afternoon of Thursday, November 20th, 2025, the fifth consecutive meeting of Catechumens and Newly Illumined of the Holy Metropolis of Sweden took place in the welcoming premises of the St. George Cathedral of Stockholm (Birger Jarlsgatan 92, 114 20 Stockholm), with the participation of 50 young people in person and another 25 online.
Once again, His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia served as the speaker, addressing the participants in the English language, in order to accommodate the diverse group of Catechumens and newly baptized faithful who come from various countries and cultural backgrounds.
The topic of the presentation was the continuation of the lecture entitled:
“The Missionary Work of the Evangelist Matthew.”
During the session, participants once again posed thoughtful and insightful questions, to which His Eminence offered well-founded and pastoral responses.
At the conclusion of the meeting, refreshments were offered in honor of all who were present, particularly the young people who serve the local Church faithfully and with dedication in various ministries.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, December 18th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., in the same location, and will inaugurate a new cycle of thematic presentations. (The entrance is from the church drive way.)
At the upcoming meeting, the catechumens will be given the catechetical support books in Greek and English, which were kindly offered on behalf of the organization ‘Agape Hellas’ by Mr. Emmanouil Toufexis. The books are titled: ‘A Deeper Acquaintance with Jesus Christ’ (‘Going Deeper with Jesus Christ’).
Those residing outside Stockholm may follow the meeting online at the link below:
Allow me to begin not from a Patristic text, but from a world we often consider distant from the Church: the world of cinema – the world of art, of images, of contemporary storytelling.
The Church is not afraid of modern culture; whatever bears seeds of truth, she embraces, illumines, and transforms. As Saint Justin the Philosopher says: “Πάντες οἱ σπερματικοὶ λόγοι τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσί” – “All the seeds of truth belong to God.”
Today, we will take such a “seed” from contemporary cinema and plant it beside the Gospel: a modern, unpretentious, moving American film, “Beauty in the Broken.”
It is a film which, without knowing it, speaks the language of the Gospel. A story which, without intending it, mirrors the story of a great Saint: the former tax collector Matthew, who became Evangelist, Apostle, martyr, and guide of generations.
In this film we meet a young girl. A girl living on the margins: homeless, afraid, deeply wounded. A human being who, in the eyes of the world, is not worth paying attention to. People walk past her as if she does not exist; some pity her, others avoid her, others almost fear her. A “broken” life.
But then something unexpected and ultimately saving happens. Someone sees her. Looks at her deeply. Not as others look at her, but as God looks at the human being: beyond clothing, beyond poverty, beyond wounds.
A psychiatrist, a man with an open heart, sees in this girl not a ruined life, but a life that hides within itself an invaluable treasure: the gift of art, the gift of creativity.
And from that single look, the transformation begins. Not because the girl suddenly becomes perfect, but because someone has recognized her worth. This person has seen the beauty within the broken.
Which figure in Scripture most brings this girl to mind? Who so closely resembles an existence on the margins, misunderstood, condemned? Who also lived in fractures, in social disdain, in moral loneliness? The tax collector Matthew.
The one who became the author of the first Gospel. The one who wrote about Christ, because Christ first “wrote” upon his own heart.
Before becoming an Evangelist, Matthew was a tax collector. And tax collectors in that era – as the Fathers of the Church describe – were dishonored people.
Saint Cyril of Alexandria says: “Οἱ τελῶναι ἦσαν τοῖς πολλοῖς βδελυκτοί” – “Tax collectors were abominable to the many,” that is, repulsive to most people, and “ἄνθρωποι ἄδικοι” – “unjust people,” because they were considered collaborators with the Roman occupiers, people of shame.
Saint John Chrysostom notes that “tax collector” meant “ἄδικος κατ᾽ ἐπάγγελμα” – “a professional in injustice.”
Saint Gregory the Theologian underscores that people of this sort were regarded as “ἀνίατοι τῇ κακίᾳ” – “incurable in their wickedness.”
This is how the world saw Matthew. Just as the world in the film sees the young girl: a lost cause.
And yet, Someone passes by in front of him. Not just anyone – Christ, the God-Man. The only One who can see into the soul more deeply than anyone else.
And Christ sees him. He looks at him without contempt, without disgust, without suspicion, but with love. With that love which Saint Basil the Great calls “ἀγάπη ἡ ἁγιάζουσα τὰ ἀμαρτωλά” – “love that sanctifies even what is sinful.”
And then Christ says to Matthew two words that changed the history of the world: “Follow Me.”
He does not ask him to correct his mistakes first. He does not say, “Become better and then come.” He gives him neither deadline nor conditions. He says: Come as you are. With your cracks. With your mistakes. With your wounds. And I will transform you.
Saint John Chrysostom comments: “Οὐκ ἐκ λόγων μακρῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ μιᾶς ῥήσεως ἡ κλῆσις.” – “His calling did not come through long speeches, but through a single phrase.”
And elsewhere: “Εἷλκεν αὐτόν οὐ λόγων πλήθει, ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ βλέμματος.” – “He drew him not by a multitude of words, but by the power of His gaze.” Christ attracted him with the power of His divine look.
And Matthew rose up “immediately” and followed Him. From this moment onward, everything changes. The broken becomes strong. The margin becomes mission. Shame becomes glory.
Here the life of Matthew meets the film we mentioned. For what Christ does to Matthew is precisely what the doctor does to the girl in the film: He sees him. He recognizes him. He honors him. He lifts him out of insignificance. He gives him hope. He gives him identity.
In the film, when the girl paints, when she allows her soul to express itself, when her art gushes forth out of her wounds, we see something astonishing: the cracks do not disappear – they are transformed. They become color. They become lines. They become beauty.
So too with Matthew: his old self does not vanish, but is sanctified. His mistakes are not erased, but redeemed. His past is not cancelled, but transformed into Gospel.
Saint Gregory the Theologian says this in a striking way: “Ὁ Θεός μεταποιεῖ τὰ ταπεινὰ εἰς ὑψηλά, καὶ τὰ ἀτιμασμένα εἰς τίμια.” – “God transforms what is lowly into what is exalted, and what is dishonored into what is honorable.” He “sees the being of the heart and not the seeming.”
This is what He does with Matthew. He does not see a sinner, but a hidden Evangelist. He does not see an unjust tax collector, but a future Apostle. He does not see the sin; He sees the beauty hidden within the broken.
This is what happens with Matthew. This is what happens in the film. This is what can happen for each one of us.
After his calling, Matthew does not simply become a believer. He becomes an Evangelist. He writes the first Gospel in order.
Saint Jerome says that the Gospel according to Matthew is the “Gospel of the prophecies,” because it shows that Christ fulfills the entire Law and the Prophets.
Saint Athanasius the Great calls Matthew’s Gospel “a fountain of truth and a treasury of wisdom.”
Saint Chrysostom says that the Sermon on the Mount – which only Matthew records in such detail – is “the Constitution of the Kingdom of God.”
The once “unjust tax collector” writes the Constitution of the Kingdom of God!
But he does not stop there. He becomes an Apostle. He becomes a missionary. He reaches distant nations. He preaches Christ to peoples unknown. He endures persecutions. And finally, he offers his life.
Chrysostom says: “Οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐσφράγισαν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον οὐ λόγοις, ἀλλ᾽ αἵματι.” – “The Apostles sealed the Gospel not with words, but with blood.”
This is what Matthew does as well. He gives what he had: his life. This entire journey of holiness begins from a single look and two words. From the fact that Christ saw the beauty within the broken.
We all have cracks. We all have weaknesses, fears, wounds. No one is perfect, but Christ does not ask for perfection. He asks for a heart. He asks for a will. He asks that we open for Him even a small window so that He may enter and dwell within us.
Saint Basil says: “Οὐκ ἀπαιτεῖται τέλειος ἀρετή, ἀλλὰ προαίρεσις ἁγία.” – “What is required is not perfect virtue, but a holy disposition.” God does not wait for us to become saints in order to love us. He loves us so that we may become saints.
Just as, in the film, the girl discovers the power of art through the love of someone who believed in her, so too we discover our own gift when we allow Christ to see us.
Today, Christ says to us the very words He spoke to Matthew: “Follow Me.” Come. With your wounds, with your past, with your mistakes, with your weaknesses, with your “cracks,” because it is there, in the cracks, that the light enters.
Saint Nicholas Cabasilas says that the grace of God enters “ἐν ταῖς χαραγμαῖς τῆς ψυχῆς” – “into the cuts of the soul.” Into the scratches of the soul. Where we hurt. Where we are weak. There God opens a way.
We honor a Saint who teaches us that Christ does not see as the world sees. The world sees what is broken. Christ sees the beauty within the broken. The world sees sin. Christ sees a mission. The world sees the past. Christ sees the future.
This is why the message of Saint Matthew is so contemporary. Matthew – like the heroine of the film – teaches us that you are not what others, the ill-intentioned and toxic, say you are. You are not your mistakes. You are not your wounds. You are not your fears. You are what God sees within you!
Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “Τῷ Θεῷ οὐ τὸ τέλειον ἀρέσκει, ἀλλὰ τὸ προσφερόμενον.” – “What pleases God is not what is perfect, but what is offered.”
So let us also become people who see beauty. Let us learn to see others as Christ sees them. Let us learn to see ourselves as Christ sees us.
If a tax collector became an Evangelist, if a girl on the margins became an artist, then we too, by the grace of God, can become something we cannot yet imagine.
And if you allow Christ – if you open even a small chink in your heart – then you will see that what you consider cracks are in reality the very points where the light will enter. Because in the life of the Christian, as in art, the most beautiful designs are painted on surfaces that have been wounded.
Let us therefore be inspired by this film, by this parable of our age. Let us be inspired by the story of Saint Matthew. Let us learn to see others not through their fractures, but through their gifts. Let us learn to see beauty where the world sees only failure. And above all, let us learn to see ourselves as Christ sees us – through the promise of transformation.
The tax collector became an Evangelist. The weak became an Apostle. The broken became beauty. May our own life likewise become a wondrous story of transformation. May it become a small continuation of the Gospel. For, as Saint Basil the Great says: “Every Christian is called to become a living Gospel!”
The Holy Metropolis of Sweden and All Scandinavia and His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas express their deepest sorrow for the tragic accident that occurred this afternoon in Stockholm, on a central avenue above the Cathedral of Saint George, when a public transportation bus veered off course and crashed into a stop, resulting in the loss of human life and the injury of our fellow citizens.
Metropolitan Cleopas conveys his sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, sharing in their profound grief and praying for the repose of the souls of the departed. At the same time, he wishes a swift and full recovery to all those injured.
The Holy Metropolis of Sweden affirms its practical support to those affected, offering every possible spiritual and psychological assistance during these difficult hours, and calls upon all the faithful to unite their prayers for the victims and their families.
May the All-Good God grant comfort to the mourners and peace to every heart.
On the afternoon of Thursday, November 6th, 2025, the fourth consecutive meeting of Catechumens and Newly Illumined of the Holy Metropolis of Sweden took place in the welcoming premises of the St. George Cathedral of Stockholm (Birger Jarlsgatan 92, 114 20 Stockholm), with the participation of 50 young people in person and another 25 online.
Once again, His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia served as the speaker, addressing the participants in the English language, in order to accommodate the diverse group of Catechumens and newly baptized faithful who come from various countries and cultural backgrounds.
The topic of the presentation was the continuation of the lecture entitled: “The Missionary Work of the Church throughout the World.”
His Eminence presented the full content of his address, referring to the apostolic identity of the Orthodox Church, as well as the contemporary witness of the faith across all continents.
During the session, participants once again posed thoughtful and insightful questions, to which His Eminence offered well-founded and pastoral responses.
At the conclusion of the meeting, refreshments were offered in honor of all who were present, particularly the young people who serve the local Church faithfully and with dedication in various ministries.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, November 20th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., in the same location, and will inaugurate a new cycle of thematic presentations. (The entrance is from the church drive way.)
Those residing outside Stockholm may follow the meeting online at the link below:
On Sunday morning, November 9, 2025, His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Saint George Cathedral of Stockholm, in honor of the feast of our Father among the Saints, Nectarios, Metropolitan of Pentapolis of Libya, patron saint of the island of Aegina. On this occasion, His Eminence also brought a relic of the Saint to bless and sanctify the faithful.
Serving together with the Shepherd of the Scandinavian Lands were the Very Reverend Archimandrite Bartholomew Iatridis, Pastor of the Cathedral, as well as visiting clergy: the Reverend Hieromonk Hieronymos (José Quintero) of the Holy Metropolis of Mexico, and the Reverend Protopresbyter Nectarios from Syria, a clergyman of the Holy Metropolis of Nea Krini and Kalamaria.
Both guest clergy speak the Greek language fluently and are distinguished for their extensive learning and missionary zeal. Because of their presence, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in Greek, Swedish, English, Spanish, and Arabic.
Following his bilingual sermon and introduction of the visiting clergy, Metropolitan Cleopas presented them with the liturgical edition of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in Greek, Swedish, and English, published by the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece.
The Metropolitan then welcomed Mrs. Agnetha Hilding Qvarnström, representative of the Kyrkvädsföreningen i Stockholms Stift organization. He presented her, as well as members of the organization who were seated in the front rows as honored guests, with the same liturgical edition.
After the customary Sunday fellowship gathering in the Cathedral Fellowship Hall, His Eminence provided the Swedish visitors with an overview of the history of the Holy Metropolis in Scandinavia, the Cathedral, the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Northern Lands, and the missionary and pastoral work being carried out. He also answered questions and concluded the visit with a guided tour of the Museum of Hellenic-Christian Heritage.
Ομιλία Σεβ. Μητροπολίτου Σουηδίας κ. Κλεόπα στην Σύναξη των Παμμεγίστων Ταξιαρχών Ιερό Ησυχαστήριο Αγίου Νικολάου Ρέττβικ Σουηδίας Σάββατο, 8 Νοεμβρίου 2025
Αιδεσιμολογιώτατε π. Γεώργιε, Μουσικολογιώτατοι, Ευλαβείς προσκυνηταί και φιλέορτοι Χριστιανοί,
Σήμερα, η Εκκλησία μας τιμά τους Αρχιστρατήγους Μιχαήλ και Γαβριήλ και όλες τις Αγγελικές Δυνάμεις. Είναι ημέρα φωτός και ουράνιας ευφροσύνης, ημέρα που ο ορατός και ο αόρατος κόσμος ενώνονται σε κοινή δοξολογία του Θεού.
Οι άγγελοι, οι αόρατοι λειτουργοί του Υψίστου, είναι πνεύματα αγάπης και διακονίας. Ο Αρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ στάθηκε με ανδρεία εναντίον του κακού, λέγοντας το αιώνιο «Στῶμεν καλῶς, στῶμεν μετά φόβου» κι ο Αρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ έγινε ο φορέας της χαρμόσυνης αγγελίας προς την Θεοτόκο, αναγγέλλοντας την σωτηρία του κόσμου.
Στην παρουσία των Αρχαγγέλων, βλέπουμε το πρότυπο της υπακοής, της πίστεως, και της ιεραποστολής, διότι κι οι ίδιοι είναι «αποστελλόμενοι», δηλαδή ιεραπόστολοι του ουρανού, που μεταφέρουν το μήνυμα της σωτηρίας στους ανθρώπους.
Mε βαθιά συγκίνηση, συνδέουμε αυτήν την εορτή με το μνημόσυνο του μακαριστού Γέροντος π. Ευσεβίου, του και κτήτορος του παρόντος Ησυχαστηρίου, ενός αληθινού ιεραπόστολου που υπηρέτησε τον Θεό στα ευλογημένα εδάφη της Σκανδιναυΐας, αποτελώντας ζωντανή εικόνα της αγγελικής αποστολής μέσα στον κόσμο.
Ο πατήρ Ευσέβιος υπήρξε άνθρωπος, με φτερά πίστεως. Άφησε την άνεση του τόπου του κι ήρθε στα μακρινά εδάφη της Σκανδιναυΐας, για να μεταφέρει την ζεστασιά του Ευαγγελίου, σε τόπους, όπου η Ορθοδοξία ήταν σχεδόν άγνωστη. Έγινε άγγελος φωτός, τελώντας την Θεία Λειτουργία, διδάσκοντας, εξομολογώντας, παρηγορώντας, συγγράφοντας κι αγκαλιάζοντας όλους με πατρική αγάπη και ενδιαφέρον.
Με την σεμνότητά του και την βαθιά θεολογική του καλλιέργεια και κατάρτιση, έγινε σημείο αναφοράς για πλήθος ανθρώπων, Ελλήνων μεταναστών και Σκανδιναυών, που γνώρισαν μέσα από εκείνον την ζωντανή παρουσία της Ορθοδοξίας.
Όπως οι άγγελοι, έτσι κι εκείνος δεν ζούσε για τον εαυτό του, αλλά για τον Χριστό και τον συνάνθρωπο. Η πίστη του ήταν ήρεμη, σταθερή, η ζωή του σιωπηλή, καρποφόρα.
Σήμερα, που τον μνημονεύουμε υπέρ αναπαύσεως, νιώθουμε πως ενώνεται με τις ουράνιες Δυνάμεις που τιμούμε. Ο πατήρ Ευσέβιος συνεχίζει την διακονία του ενώπιον του Θεού, ως πρεσβευτής υπέρ πάντων ημών. Η επίγεια ιεραποστολή του ολοκληρώθηκε, η ουράνια όμως έχει αρχίσει από την εκδημία του, εδώ και 16 έτη.
Ας τον θυμόμαστε με ευγνωμοσύνη και διάθεση για μίμηση.Να αγαπούμε, να συγχωρούμε, να προσευχόμαστε, να εργαζόμαστε ταπεινά για το Ευαγγέλιο, όπως κι εκείνος κι έτσι, θα γίνουμε κι εμείς μικροί άγγελοι μέσα στον κόσμο, φέροντας το φως του Θεού στις ψυχές που το αναζητούν.
Ας είναι αιωνία η μνήμη του μακαριστού πατρός Ευσέβιου, του γλυκέως αυτού ιεραποστόλου και πνευματικού πατρός και ας πρεσβεύει μαζί με τους Αγίους Αρχαγγέλους για όλους μας, ώστε κάποτε κι εμείς να αξιωθούμε να ψάλουμε μαζί τους το «Άγιος, Άγιος, Άγιος Κύριος Σαβαώθ». Αμήν!
Today, on the 7th Sunday of the Gospel of Luke, we hear the wondrous account of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue. And on this same day, the Church also sets before us the holy and wonder-working Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis, that radiant vessel of humility, patience, and unwavering faith in Christ.
How fitting are these commemorations together—for in both the Gospel and in the life of St. Nectarios, we behold the interplay of faith, suffering, patience, and divine healing.
The Evangelist tells us that for twelve years, this woman suffered a flow of blood, a condition that not only caused terrible physical weakness, but also rendered her religiously unclean and socially isolated. She bore physical pain, emotional humiliation, and spiritual loneliness.
She did not demand attention, nor cry out publicly, but said in her heart: “If I only touch the edge of His garment, I shall be made well.”
Her healing began not with touch, but with faith. Christ did not ask, “Who touched Me?” because He lacked knowledge, but to reveal her faith publicly, so that others, like us today, might be strengthened by her example.
Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, approached Christ openly. While the woman showed silent faith, Jairus showed public faith. But his faith, too, was tested. When the news came that his daughter had died, those around him said: “Do not trouble the Teacher anymore.”
But Christ answered him: “Do not fear. Only believe.”
Saint Basil the Great teaches: “Faith is not the absence of sorrow, but the refusal to surrender to it.”
Jairus continued walking with Christ—even when the world told him it was hopeless. Christ, who is the Giver of Life, entered the house of mourning and transformed it into a house of resurrection.
In Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis, whose memory we commemorate today, we see both the silent endurance of the suffering woman and the steadfast faith of Jairus.
He was falsely accused, slandered, exiled, misunderstood, and humiliated. Like the woman, he suffered in silence. Like Jairus, he kept walking with Christ when others told him to give up.
Saint Nectarios did not allow bitterness to take root in his heart. Instead, he prayed for his accusers and thanked God for every trial. His very life teaches us that holiness grows where there is patience in suffering. God glorified him, not during his earthly life, but after death, just as the Lord raised Jairus’ daughter.
Today, thousands travel to his monastery in Aegina—wounded in body and soul—and they find healing through his intercessions. As the woman touched the garment of Christ, so the faithful now touch the relics of St. Nectarios and they are healed. For the saints are the hands of Christ stretched forth into our time.
The Gospel invites us to examine our faith today. Do we pray as the suffering woman prayed—quietly, persistently, with humility? Do we walk with Christ as Jairus did, even when circumstances seem hopeless? Do we endure injustice and hardship as St. Nectarios did, without anger, trusting in the judgment of God?
We, too, have illnesses—some of the body, many of the heart: resentment, anxiety, depression, impatience, fear. Let us come to Christ—not demanding, but trusting!
Το Άγιον Όρος, “το περιβόλι της Παναγίας”, υπήρξε ένας τόπος που ιδιαιτέρως είλκυε την φιλέρημο ψυχή του μητροπολίτου Νεκταρίου. Δεν είναι τυχαίο το γεγονός ότι, μετά την απομάκρυνσή του από το πατριαρχείο Αλεξανδρείας, επροτίμησε ως τόπο διαμονής του το Άγιον Όρος και όχι την μονή της μετανοίας του, την Νέα Μονή της Χίου. Αυτό εξυπηρετούσε δύο σκοπούς· αφενός μεν, το Άγιον Όρος, ως κιβωτός της παραδόσεως και καρδία του Ορθοδόξου μοναχισμού, είλκυσε τον ιεράρχη, και αφετέρου η μελέτη στις περίφημες βιβλιοθήκες των μονών του Άθω θα του προσέφερε πλούσιο υλικό, προς εξακολούθησιν της συγγραφής των έργων του.
Επειδή όμως το θέλημα του Θεού ήτο να διακονήσει την Ελλαδική Εκκλησία, πρώτον ως ιεροκήρυξ και εν συνεχεία ως διευθυντής της Ριζαρείου, ο διακαής πόθος του αγίου να μεταβεί στον Άθω εξεπληρώθη το καλοκαίρι του 1898. Στις θερινές διακοπές του έτους εκείνου, ο φιλομόναχος Νεκτάριος θα εύρισκε την ευκαιρία, να απαλλαγεί για λίγο από τον φόρτο των εκπαιδευτικών και ποικίλλων καθηκόντων του και να αφοσιωθεί ολοκληρωτικώς στην εσωτερική πνευματική άσκηση, την προσευχή και την μελέτη. Το ταξίδι αυτό αποτελούσε έκφραση ευγνωμοσύνης του προς την Κυρία Θεοτόκο, για τις άπειρες προς αυτόν ευεργεσίες.
Προτού αναχωρήσει, σύμφωνα με τους κανονισμούς, ο άγιος Νεκτάριος ζήτησε από το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο, στο οποίο υπάγεται ο Άθως, κανονική άδεια μεταβάσεως και παραμονής σε αυτόν. Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντίνος ο Ε΄, δια της από 30ης Μαΐου 1898 επιστολής του προς τους επιστάτες και αντιπροσώπους της αγιορειτικής κοινότητος, συνιστούσε τον όσιο και τους παρακαλούσε να του παράσχουν “πᾶσαν δυνατήν εὐκολίαν καί ἄνετον ἐκπλήρωσιν οὗ ἐμφορεῖται πόθου.” Ἐλαβε, επίσης, και την έγγραφο συγκατάθεση του διοικητικού συμβουλίου της Ριζαρείου και “κατά τό ἄρθρ. 24 τοῦ Νέου Ὀργανισμοῦ”, στην διεύθυνση “θέλει ἀναπληροῖ ὁ Οἰκονόμος τῆς σχολῆς”.
Η ιερά κοινότης του Αγίου Όρους υπεδέχθη τον λόγιο ιεράρχη, με τιμές ανάλογες του αξιώματός του και, δια της από 30ης Ιουλίου 1898 επιστολής του προς τις είκοσι ιερές μονές, συνιστούσε τον άγιον Πενταπόλεως ως έναν “τῶν μᾶλλον εὐπαιδεύτων καί διαπρεπῶν τῆς Ἀνατολ. Ὀρθ. Ἐκκλησίας Ἱεραρχῶν, γνωστόν ἔκ τε τῶν πολλῶν καί ποικίλων θεολογικῶν καί λοιπῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν Αὐτοῦ συγγραφῶν”, για να του παρασχεθεί πάσα διευκόλυνσις μελέτης και ιεροπραξίας, κατά τον πόθο του.
Δεν γνωρίζουμε, αν ο άγιος επεσκέφθη όλες τις ιερές μονές, αλλά σύμφωνα πάντοτε με τις πληροφορίες των Αγιορειτών πατέρων και των βιογράφων του, επεσκέφθη τις περισσότερες εξ αυτών. Οι Αγιορείτες αντίκρισαν έναν χαμηλόθωρο κληρικό, με μοναχική περιβολή, χωρίς να φέρει επάνω του το διακριτικόν της αρχιερωσύνης, το εγκόλπιο.
Με την απέριττη ενδυμασία, ο ασκητής άγιος αποσκοπούσε στην αποφυγή αποδόσεως τιμών προς το πρόσωπόν του, εκ μέρους των μοναχών, καθ’ όλην την διάρκεια της παραμονής του στον Άθω. Ο ίδιος επιζητούσε την εσωτερική μόνωση και την πνευματική εμπειρία, που θα αποκτούσε από τις συναναστροφές του με τους ασκητές.
Σύμφωνα με την αγιορείτικη προφορική παράδοση, η περιοδεία του αγίου άρχισε από την ιερά μονή του Οσίου Διονυσίου, όπου αντέγραψε από κώδικα της εκεί βιβλιοθήκης επιστολή του Πάπα Ιωάννου του Η΄ προς τον Μέγα Φώτιο, την οποία περιέλαβε στο έργο του, “Περί τῶν αἰτιῶν τοῦ Σχίσματος”.
Στην συνέχεια, επεσκέφθη την ιερά μονή της Μεγίστης Λαύρας, στις 7 Αυγούστου του 1898, όπως μαρτυρείται από την ιδιόχειρη αφιέρωσή του στο βιβλίο των επισκεπτών.
Ο επόμενος σταθμός της περιοδείας του ήτο η ιερά μονή Σίμωνος Πέτρας, όπου συνεδέθη με δεσμούς φιλίας με τον τότε ηγούμενο της μονής, γέροντα Ιερώνυμο. Ο δεύτερος επεσκέπτετο τακτικώς τον άγιο στην Αθήνα και στο μοναστήρι του στην Αίγινα.
Ακολούθως, μετέβη στην ιερά μονή του Οσίου Γρηγορίου, ο καθηγούμενος της οποίας, γέρων Αθανάσιος, συνιστούσε στην αδελφότητά του, να μελετά τα συγγράμματα του αγίου Νεκταρίου. Ο αείμνηστος ιατρός και αδελφός της μονής Νικόλαος γνώριζε τον άγιο από τα νεανικά του χρόνια. Διηγείτο ότι είδε πολλά θαύματα του αγίου και ένεκα αυτών εγκατέλειψε τα εγκόσμια και την καριέρα του και ηκολούθησε την μοναστική πολιτεία.
Μία επιστολή ευρέθη σε “Ἐπιστολάριον”, στα αρχεία της ιεράς μονής Ξενοφώντος. Σύμφωνα με την άποψη του βιβλιοθηκαρίου της μονής, ιερομονάχου Θεωνά, ο άγιος Νεκτάριος απηύθυνε την επιστολή αυτή προς τον τότε βιβλιοθηκάριο μοναχό Χρυσόστομο, δια της οποίας τον επληροφόρει για την λήψη των αντιτίμων της μελέτης του “Εὐαγγελική Ἱστορία”. Η αχρονολόγητη αυτή επιστολή, προφανώς, συνετάχθη το 1903, έτος εκδόσεως της “Εὐαγγελικῆς Ἱστορίας”.
Κατά την επίσκεψίν του εις την ιερά μονή των Ιβήρων, ο άγιος Νεκτάριος σημείωσε τα εξής στο “Βιβλίον τῶν ἐπισκεπτῶν”: “Νηστεία καί παρθενία πτέρυγες πνευματικαί πρός μεταρσίωσιν καί τελείωσιν, ἀλλ’ ἥ τε νηστεία καί παρθενία καθ’ ἑαυτά οὔτε καλόν οὔτε κακόν, ἀλλ’ ἀπό τῆς τῶν μετιόντων προαιρέσεως ἑκάτερον γίνεται, κατά τόν θεῖον Χρυσόστομον. Προαιρέσεως ἄρα δεόμεθα ἀγαθῆς, νηστείαν ἀσκοῦντες καί παρθενίαν ὅπως ἀναβῶμεν πνευματικά καί ἀχθῶμεν εἰς τήν Χριστιανικήν τελειότητα. Ἔτι δέ προαίρεσις τό ἀνακινεῖσθαι πρός τελείωσιν. Ἔν τῇ Ἱερᾷ, καί Σεβασμίᾳ Μονῇ τῶν Ἰβήρων τῇ 16 Αὐγούστου Ἔτους Σωτηρίου 1898. Ὁ Πενταπόλεως Νεκτάριος”.
Περνώντας από διάφορες σκήτες, ο σεβάσμιος κληρικός έφθασε στην Μικρά Αγία Άννα, όπου συνομίλησε με ερημίτες και ασκητές. Κάποιος μάλιστα εξ αυτών, που είχε προορατικό χάρισμα, απεκάλυψε στον άγιο την αρχιερατική του ιδιότητα, παρ’ ότι εξωτερικώς έδειχνε ως άσημος μοναχός. Στην περιοχή εκείνη, εγνωρίσθη με τους γέροντες Χρύσανθο Βρέτταρο και Μηνά Μαυροβούνιο. Ο δεύτερος, συζητώντας με τον θεοφόρο Νεκτάριο, επί δύο ημερόνυχτα λησμονήθηκαν. Είχαν μεταρσιωθεί σε ουράνιες θεωρίες.
Ο άγιος Δανιήλ ο Κατουνακιώτης, ιδρυτής της μοναστικής αδελφότητος των Δανιηλαίων, εφιλοξένησε τον διευθυντή της Ριζαρείου στην σκήτη του. Ο Δανιήλ εδέχετο την οικονομική ενίσχυση του μητροπολίτου για την ανέγερση του μονυδρίου της σκήτης του, καθώς και αντίτυπα των έργων του, με ιδιόχειρη αφιέρωση. Θέλοντας να δείξει ο αγιορείτης πατήρ την ευγνωμοσύνη του για τις κάθε είδους ευεργεσίες που εδέχετο από τον ελεήμονα επίσκοπο, τον αποκαλούσε “κτίτορα και πατέρα και καθηγούμενο τοῦ ἱεροῦ κελλίου” του.
Σύμφωνα με την άποψη του μακαριστού ηγουμένου της μονής Παναγίας Τατάρνης, αρχιμανδρίτου π. Δοσιθέου Κανέλλου, στην αδελφότητα των Δανιηλαίων του Αγίου Όρους υπήρξε κάποιος ιερομόναχος, ονόματι Αθανάσιος Βίττος Δανιηλίδης, μέγας οικονόμος και πνευματικός, ο οποίος, μετά από μακροχρόνια μαθητεία κοντά στον γέροντα Δανιήλ, ανεχώρησε από το Άγιον Όρος και ήλθε στην Αθήνα, φέροντας μαζί του την “Ἐπιστολογραφία τοῦ Ὁσιωτάτου Πατρός Δανιήλ Σμυρναίου, Ἁγιογράφου, τοῦ ἐν Κατουνακίοις Ἁγίου Ὄρους Ἄθω”, ή τό “Χειρόγραφον Ἐπιστολάριον”, όπως αλλιώς το ονόμαζε ο Αθανάσιος, το οποίο περιείχε αντίγραφα μέρους της αλληλογραφίας του γέροντος Δανιήλ με τον άγιο Νεκτάριο.
Η “Ἐπιστολογραφία” περιείχε μεταξύ άλλων τις εξής τέσσαρες επιστολές· τις από 8ης Μαρτίου και 5ης Ιουνίου 1903 επιστολές του γέροντος Δανιήλ προς τον άγιο Νεκτάριο και μία αχρονολόγητη του αγίου Δανιήλ, περί μοναχικής διατυπώσεως, καθώς και την από 30ης Μαρτίου 1903 επιστολή του αγίου Νεκταρίου προς τον γέροντα Δανιήλ, η οποία διακρίνεται για το φιλοσοφικό της βάθος. Σ’ αυτήν, ο άγιος έκανε λόγο για τις δοκιμασίες, που οδηγούν την ψυχή στην αληθινή φιλοσοφία, δια της οποίας καλούμεθα όλοι, ιδιαιτέρως οι μοναχοί, να γίνομε φιλόσοφοι. Ο ιεράρχης επεσφράγισε τον λόγο του με την πράξη, αποστέλλοντας στον γέροντα Δανιήλ ένα κιβώτιο με δέκα τρεις ογκώδεις τόμους των έργων του Χρυσοστόμου, εκδόσεως Βενετίας 1734-1741.
Εις ένδειξιν ευγνωμοσύνης, ο άγιος Δανιήλ απέστειλε την από 8ης Μαρτίου 1903 επιστολή του στον άγιο Νεκτάριο, καθώς και την από 5ης Ἰουνίου 1903 επιστολή του, η οποία εχαρακτηρίσθη από τον συντάκτη της ως “Ἀπάντησις τῆς 13ης εἰς τόν Ἅγιον Πενταπόλεως κ. Νεκτάριον”, το περιεχόμενο της οποίας αποτελεί συνέχεια της προηγούμενης επιστολής.
Στην συνέχεια της προσκυνηματικής περιοδείας του, ο άγιος Νεκτάριος, εφιλοξενήθη για τρεις ημέρες στην καλύβα του γέροντος Ιωάσαφ, στην σκήτη της Αγίας Άννης, όπου ετιμάτο στην μνήμη του ιερού Χρυσοστόμου. Ο μοναχός Ιωάσαφ κατήγετο από την Μάδυτο, η οποία βρίσκεται κοντά στην Σηλυβρία. Αυτό προφανώς συνετέλεσε στην σύναψη πνευματικής φιλίας και αλληλογραφίας, που διετηρήθη μεταξύ των δύο ανδρών.
Ο σπηλαιώτης γέρων Αβιμέλεχ Μπονάκης, διακρινόμενος για την πραότητα και την ακτημοσύνη του, απέσπασε την συμπάθεια του αγίου, όταν αυτός πέρασε από την σπηλιά που διέμεινε, στην σκήτη της Αγίας Άννης. Ο υμνογράφος Αβιμέλεχ συνήψε φιλία και αλληλογραφία με τον άγιο και υπήρξε ο πρώτος βιογράφος του.
Η δίμηνη προσκυνηματική περιοδεία του μητροπολίτου Νεκταρίου στο Άγιον Όρος έλαβε τέλος κάπου στα τέλη Αυγούστου του 1898, οπότε και επέστρεψε στα καθήκοντά του στην Ριζάρειο. Η επίσκεψη αυτή επέδρασε καταλυτικώς στις περί μοναχισμού αντιλήψεις του, δια των οποίων συνέβαλε στην ανανέωση του Ορθοδόξου μοναχισμού. Εκεί εγνώρισε το μοναχικό αγιορείτικο ήθος και με την δεκτικότητα της ψυχής του τα ενστερνίσθη, όπως μαρτυρείται και από την σύνθεση του “Θεοτοκαρίου”, με το οποίο εξύμνησε την Κυρία Θεοτόκο.
Η επίδρασις που ήσκησε ο Άθως στον φιλομόναχο άγιο Πενταπόλεως ήτο εμφανής στην εξωτερική του εμφάνιση. Ήτο συνήθως ενδεδυμένος με το ράσο του, τον καλογερικό σκούφο κι ένα μικρό ασημένιο επιστήθιο σταυρό. Την μεγάλη του αγάπη προς τον μοναχισμό έδειξε ο άγιος και με την σύνθεση του “Θεοτοκαρίου” και με την ίδρυση της γυναικείας κοινοβιακής ιεράς μονής Αγίας Τριάδος στην Αίγινα, το 1904. Η εξ ολοκλήρου αφοσίωσή του στην σύσταση και ανοικοδόμηση της μονής του απετέλεσε τον κύριο λόγο της παραιτήσεώς του από τα καθήκοντά του στην Ριζάρειο.
Ήδη, πριν την παραίτησή του, την τετραετία 1904-1908, με τις “Κατηχητικές Ἐπιστολές” που απηύθυνε προς τις δόκιμες μοναχές στην Αίγινα, παρείχε πατρικές υποθήκες για την ακριβή τήρηση των όρων της πνευματικής αθλήσεως και μοναχικής ζωής. Ο ασκητής επίσκοπος ανεδείχθη διδάσκαλος της μοναχικής πολιτείας, διότι οι εν λόγω επιστολές του “ἀποτελοῦν ἀρίστην Πατερικήν διδασκαλίαν καί φῶς διά τούς ἀκολουθούντας τήν ἀγγελομίμητον ζωήν.”
Ο προστάτης της Αιγίνης διετήρησε την επαφή του με τους Αγιορείτες πατέρες, μέχρι το τέλος του επιγείου βίου του. Διακής πόθος του ήτο να επισκέπτεται τακτικώς το Άγιον Όρος, προς “πνευματικήν ἀναψυχήν”, όπως ο ίδιος έγραφε χαρακτηριστικώς σε επιστολή του προς τον άγιο Δανιήλ τον Κατουνακιώτη. Οι υποχρεώσεις όμως που είχε αναλάβει έναντι της αδελφότητος της μονής του στην Αίγινα, αλλά και η προς το τέλος της ζωής του επώδυνη ασθένεια που τον κατέβαλε σταδιακώς, ανέκοψαν την εκπλήρωση της επιθυμίας του.
(Απόσπασμα από την μελέτη του Μητροπολίτου Σουηδίας Κλεόπα Στρογγύλη, Ἀνέκδοτες Ἐπιστολές Ἁγίου Νεκταρίου Πενταπόλεως, Τόμος Α´& Β´ (2023), Εκδόσεις της Αποστολικής Διακονίας της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος.)
During the three-day period of October 31st, November 1st and 2nd, 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Elia of Helsinki and All Finland visited Stockholm on the occasion of the feast of the Synaxis of the Saints of Karelia.
Specifically, at midday on Friday, October 31st, His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, accompanied by the Very Reverend Archimandrite Bartholomew Iatridis, welcomed at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport the new Archbishop of Helsinki and All Finland, His Eminence Elia, who was accompanied by the Reverend Protopresbyter Mikael Sundkvist and the Reverend Archdeacon Andreas Salminen. They then attended a luncheon graciously offered by businessman Mr. Konstantinos Zisis.
In the afternoon of the same day, the Hierarchs of the Mother Church and the above-mentioned Clergy were received by the Ambassador of Finland to Sweden, His Excellency Mr. Olli Kantanen, with whom they exchanged views on ecclesiastical and current matters affecting both countries.
The Shepherd of the Scandinavian Lands offered His Excellency his published study in English regarding the Patriarchal Visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Stockholm, in 2019.
That evening, Metropolitan Cleopas hosted a dinner in honor of the Archbishop and his accompanying Clergy, at a local restaurant.
On the morning of Saturday, November 1st, 2025, Archbishop Elia presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Finnish Parish of Saint Nicholas in Stockholm, at which Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia participated in prayer. He was accompanied by the chief Legal Advisor of the Metropolis, Mr. Rafail Poumeyrau.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Cleopas addressed Archbishop Elias appropriately.
That evening, Metropolitan Cleopas again offered a dinner in honor of the Archbishop and his Entourage.
On the morning of Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, Metropolitan Cleopas welcomed Archbishop Elia and his clergy at the Saint George Cathedral of Stockholm.
A concelebration of the Hierarchs followed. At its conclusion, Metropolitan Cleopas welcomed Archbishop Elia for the second time, following the Patriarchal Visit last August, expressing his gratitude for his honored presence and his overall support of the Finnish Parish of Saint Nicholas.
He offered him a Hierarchical medalion/Engolpion, as well as his latest study on the first Metropolitan of Sweden, the late Polyefktos.
Then, Archbishop Elia thanked Metropolitan Cleopas for his generous hospitality and bestowed upon him the Cross of the Order of the Archdiocese of Finland, together with its accompanying insignia.
He also expressed his joy for the brotherly relations between the two Churches, for the benefit of the Mother Church of Constantinople. He spoke about the venerable Head of Orthodoxy, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and expressed his admiration for the restoration work of the Cathedral, which he remembered from his student years.
In his address, delivered in Greek and English, Metropolitan Cleopas stated: “Today, in our worship Synaxis, we welcome His Eminence Archbishop Elia of Helsinki and All Finland, together with his companions, Father Mikael and Archdeacon Andreas, who have been in Stockholm since the day before yesterday on the occasion of the celebration of the Synaxis of the Saints of Karelia, who were honored yesterday in our Finnish Parish of Saint Nicholas.
Today we have the exceptional honor and blessing to welcome His Eminence with his esteemed Entourage for the second time, after the Patriarchal Chorostasia here of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, on August 24th of this year, in order to reaffirm our fraternal relationship and to thank him, because he grants canonical permission to distinguished Clergy of his Archdiocese to visit and offer the Holy Sacraments to our Finnish Parish, for which we are deeply grateful for his unwavering support.
We wish you, Your Eminence, health, strength, and the abundant blessing of God in your Archpastoral ministry, and may you enjoy the fruits of your labors! Welcome!
Today we heard the Parable of the Rich Man and Poor Lazarus. It is not simply a narrative, but a calling; a signpost for our spiritual life.
In the parable, we discern the rich man who lives in luxury and self-indulgence, and Lazarus who is in poverty and pain, silent and patient, near the gate of the rich man.
The two figures represent two familiar ways of life. The rich man is not condemned because he possesses wealth, but because he does not see his brother, does not recognize his social responsibility, and does not glorify God through his blessings.
Lazarus, although poor, has a name: ‘Lazarus,’ which means ‘God is my help.’
The parable then moves to the afterlife. Lazarus is carried to the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man descends into Hades. The reversal is clear: our life on earth determines the soul’s condition after death. This is not merely a warning, but a call to transformation now.
Greed and avarice isolate the human being; covetousness becomes idolatry. Compassion toward our neighbor is an expression of faith.
Let us escape indifference and become active. Let us make the decision to show mercy, with our eyes fixed on the Lord, who loves the humble and justifies the repentant, so that when the day comes that we stand before Him, we may hear His blessed words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
Your Eminence,
Fr. Mikael & Archdeacon Andreas,
With profound reverence and sincere joy, we welcome You today at our Cathedral.
Your presence among us this day is not only a blessing, but also a visible sign of the living unity of the Church of Christ, which transcends boundaries of geography and culture, binding us together in one common faith, prayer, and Eucharist, under the Mother Church of Constantinople.
We express our profound gratitude for the consistent and generous support that the Autonomous Church of Finland provides to our beloved St. Nicholas Finnish Orthodox Parish of Stockholm.
The regular sending of clergy—who travel from Finland to Stockholm, to serve the Divine Liturgy, to offer the Holy Sacraments, to provide guidance, comfort, and encouragement—this is not a small gift. It is a sacrifice of time, energy, and resources.
Your Eminence, your concern for our pastoral life reflects the care of the Good Shepherd.
Today, your second official visit as Archbishop reminds us that we are not alone. We are part of the one Orthodox Church—united in faith, in prayer, in apostolic tradition.
At this point, please allow me to offer you these two small gifts; an engolpion & my latest book on the first Metropolitan of Sweden the late Polyefktos Finfinis.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always and with your Esteemed Entourage, Fr. Mikael & Protodeacon Andreas. Thank you.”
After the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence Archbishop Elia, together with the clergy accompanying him, the President of the Finnish Parish of Saint Nicholas in Stockholm and the Director of the Parish Choir, Mr. Jukka Aminoff, the Chief Legal Adviser to the Holy Metropolis of Sweden Mr. Rafail Poumeyrau, Mr. and Mrs. Benedict Svendberg, and His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas, attended a luncheon offered in honor of the visiting delegation by the Cathedral Philoptochos Ladies Society, under the gracious care of its President Mrs. Fotini Batsela, and Mrs. Tania Svendberg, held on the premises of the Museum of Hellenic-Christian Heritage, within the Cathedral grounds.
Thereafter, Metropolitan Cleopas accompanied Archbishop Elia and his honorable entourage to Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, where he bid farewell to them, once again expressing his gratitude for their distinguished visit and for the reaffirmation of their mutual fraternal relations and fruitful cooperation.
Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Ενορία Αγίου Ανδρέα Μάλμε 