Despite the bad weather conditions, the new metropolitan of dryinoupolis, pogoniani And Kaonitsa, Alexios, was Warmly Welcomed in Delvinaki and Konitsa.

Initially, he was welcomed by clergy and people at Delvinaki, the historic seat of the Metropolis, where the Mayor of Pogoni, Kostas Kapsalis, welcomed the Metropolitan and assured him that “we will be close to you, supporting your every effort, which unites, which gives hope, which builds something new. We welcome you with respect and sincere love. We pray that your ministry will be peaceful, creative, and inspiring.”

Κατά τον λόγο του στον μητροπολιτικό ναό Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου Δελβινακίου ο Μητροπολίτης Αλέξιος σημείωσε ότι “μέσα στην Ορθόδοξη παράδοση αυτής της περιοχής, θα συνεχίσω το έργο των μακαριστών Σεβαστιανού και Ανδρέου”. Και πρόσθεσε: “Ως νέος Επίσκοπος στην Μητρόπολή μας έρχομαι όχι ως Δεσπότης κοσμικός, αλλά ω πατέρας, ως διάκονος, ως ομόψυχος αδελφός όλων σας. Έρχομαι με την απόφαση να ακούω, να συμπάσχω, να μοιράζομαι τις χαρές και τις λύπες σας, να στέκομαι δίπλα σε κάθε άνθρωπο, σε κάθε πονεμένη ψυχή”.

In Konitsa, the reception took place outside the city hall, where the mayor of Konitsa, Andreas Papaspyrou, addressed him, calling on him “to remain a source of hope and to strengthen the relations of cooperation with the Church of neighboring Albania.” He also expressed the belief that during his lifetime the procedures for the construction of a church dedicated to Saint Paisios will progress.

A procession was formed, which ended at the pilgrimage church of Saint Cosmas, where the enthronement took place, in the presence of Deputy Minister of Education Konstantinos Vlasis as a representative of the government.

In his enthronement speech, the Metropolitan pointed out that it is his obligation to work for the consolidation of national ideals in this border bulwark that is being tested by demographic shrinkage, while he described the issue of Northern Epirus as a matter of the heart (just as it was for his predecessors Sebastianos and Andreas who raised it). The Church, he said, will stand in practice on the side of the Greek diaspora.

After making special mention of the priests of his Metropolis, characterizing them as his first and main collaborators, he emphasized that he will listen to the experiences of the people and will promote the truth of Christ, while underlining that the youth are the precious treasure of the place and should be provided with education.

Greetings were delivered by the Metropolitan of Ioannina as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Metropolitan of Servia and Kozani Pavlos as a representative of the Archbishop of Athens Ieronymos, the Deputy Minister of Education Konstantinos Vlassis, the General Hierarchical Commissioner Archimandrite Nikolaos Liolios as a representative of the clergy of the Metropolis, and the representative of the birthplace (Mani) of Metropolitan Georgios Dimakoyiannis.

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Present at the enthronement ceremony were twenty Metropolitans of the Church of Greece, including Metropolitan Serapion of Paramythia, while Metropolitan Nathanael of Gjirokastër was also present, a presence with particular symbolism.

And this is because the two Metropolises are neighboring and the times require constructive pastoral and broader cooperation.

The ceremony was attended, in addition to the aforementioned, by the Ioannina MPs of the New Democracy, Maria Kefala as representative of the President of the Parliament, and Giorgos Amyras and PASOK's Ioannis Tsimaris.

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And in the new era, continuity and consistency can be ensured in the Metropolis of Konitsa as a liturgical and missionary testimony, where man rediscovers his integrity and his communion with God.

And it finds ways of timely revision, so that society can be saved, through the personal example of each person, from the abyss and the distancing from God can be stopped.