Patriarch Bartholomew, Greek deputy minister attend ceremony on Gökçeada

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Katsaniotis attended a mass held in the Church of St. Trifonos on the Gökçeada (Imbros) island of the northwestern province of Çanakkale on Feb. 1.

The church, located on Turkey's biggest island and which is also Bartholomew's homeland, was restored and opened to worship on Aug. 9, 2021, after 55 years.

The ceremony was officiated by Gökçeada and Bozcaada (Tenodos) Metropolitan Kyrillos Sykisi.

Passages from the Bible were read and prayers were said in the ceremony, for which the members of the Greek community on Gökçeada showed great interest.

Some 170 people reside in the village of Şirinköy, where the church is located.

Bartholomew, the 270th archbishop of the Patriarch and who has led it since Nov. 2, 1991, was born in the island's Zeytinliköy village on Feb. 29, 1940.