In his sermon, Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all Greece referred to the important work that Patriarch Gregorios V discharged despite the serious difficulties he faced.

The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist was performed by the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, Bishop Philotheos of Oraioi, while, speaking in front of the holy relic of Saint Gregorios, the Archbishop called significant this day on which the Church celebrates the memory of the great Holy Martyr Gregory V, emphasizing that we have the particular blessing of venerating his holy relic.

The Archbishop referred to the close relationship Patriarch Gregorios entertained with Bishop Isaiah of Salona, by noting that a letter from the correspondence between them has been preserved and in it the positions and the mode of action of the Patriarch are presented.

The Archbishop read out the letter sent on December 20, 1820, by the Patriarch to the Bishop of Salona, in which, among others, the following was stated :

Brother, the greatest discretion and caution are needed in every demarche, because times are devious and there is a dough of malicious people even among those who love their country, something you should guard yourselves from like from mangy sheep. For many are those who scheme things for the love of riches. This is why you chose the good share by communicating to me, between reliable patriots, what needs discretion”.  

Furthermore, he noted that, at that time, Patriarch Gregorios had a twin part domestically. He had accepted the fact that he was the representative of all Orthodox Christians, not only of Greeks but also of those of other ethnicities. He had also accepted the fact that any confrontation with the regime of the Sultan would be paid with his own life and with those of thousands of other Orthodox Christians. It was one of those secrets, of those in leading posts through the centuries, which only those with very high-raking posts can understand. Cooperating with Isaiah of Salona, the Patriarch has assigned catechesis, the struggle of the Revolution and its organization in the provinces of Bœotia, Phokis and Lokris to him. Thus, he sends him this letter telling him I received the two letters you sent me through the care of captain Foundas, a select Greek from Galaxidi, but, brother, be careful. The days are difficult, and one cannot be too careful. There are many who pretend to love their country, and many who genuinely love their country. You should be careful how you speak to the ones and how you speak to the others, because those who pretend to love their country claim to fight, but they only fight for riches and money. There is malice and rivalry, and the outcome of the struggle depends on our circumspection.

At the same time, the Archbishop also referred to that point where the Patriarch mentions Papandreas’ move to the Bishop of Salona by emphasizing that “the act was nice yet be careful to support him in secret but to criticize him openly. And remember that Easter Day is nigh, meaning not the actual feast of Easter but the other feast of Annunciation, the commencement of the Revolution.

Besides the Archbishop underlined that “a simple letter on a piece of paper bears witness to what the Patriarch was like, what his thoughts and his martyrdom were. They say, for instance, that the Patriarch did not want the Revolution. Maybe they have some justified evidence, but they have no in-depth knowledge about how he thought and how he acted. This he proved by the martyr’s death he died”.

Finally, he pointed out that it is a particular blessing to have the relic of Saint Gregorios V in this Cathedral and concluded by stating that “all those who wish to be rebaptised, every time we have problems and difficulties, particularly our country, should come close to this reliquary, venerate it and ponder on those who fought in this manner and offered so much to this country, and should not disregard them or speak ill of them but try and empathise with their inner world”.

The Archbishop added that “for this day the Holy Synod had planned a great Divine Liturgy in this place with all the Members of the Synod and lots of people, so that we may celebrate the event, and highlight the usefulness of these facts we have to bring back to our memory every time. Unfortunately, the pandemic prevented this plan. Nevertheless, such obstacles are as nothing, because every time we think and struggle in the manner in which Saint Gregorios V taught us, we think that this too will pass, and Easter day is nigh. Each Easter becomes our day of celebration”.