It is a great honor for me, Your Beatitude, as a representative of the Greek State, to be here today at the Archdiocese and to have the privilege of meeting you personally. The work you have accomplished over the last 32 years, firstly your pastoral work and then your work in the Archdiocese of Albania is highly significant. It is a work of love, solidarity, and contribution at all levels, reflecting exactly what we all feel. I also believe that the bridges that unite us, the Orthodoxy that is our shared cultural origin, find their most genuine and significant expression in your person.
I want to convey not only the Greek State's trust in you, but also its full support for your work and for you to continue with the same zeal, with the same fervor of selfless contribution, so that the Orthodox flock will always have its spiritual leader.
October 6, 2023