Upon the completion of 200 years since the commencement of the Greek Revolution of 1821, under the auspices of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, on June 4-5, 2021, the Holy Metropolitanate of Chios, Psara and Oinoussai organised a two-day-long International Scholarly Conference on the subject “The Struggle of 1821 at sea and the successes of the Greek seamen and fire shipmen”, which was conducted online.
Specifically, on Friday, June 4, 2021, at 18h, a Sanctification Service was performed by Most Rev. Metropolitan Markos of Chios, Psara and Oinoussai upon the opening of the proceedings of the Conference and subsequently a Greeting from His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all Greece was read out, where, among others, it was stated that “we have the sacred duty to honour the memory of the thousands of victims of the Chios massacre of 1822. We bow with awe before the relics of the known and unknown victims of the massacre kept in the New Monastery and the Monastery of Saint Menas”, congratulations were expressed to the organisers of the Conference and wishes for the success of its proceedings were extended. Messages were also addressed by ecclesiastical and political authorities and financial foundations. Subsequently, Most Rev. Metropolitan Markos of Chios, Psara and Oinoussai declared the Conference open.
In his opening address, the Most Rev. Metropolitan emphasized that “the exploit of Kanaris saved the Revolution in its beginnings” as well as that the sea always played an important part in the upbringing of those born and educated on the islands of the Eastern Aegean.
The First Session followed.
On the second day of the Conference, Saturday June 5, commemorating Saint Neomartyr Markos having gone through many struggles on the island of Chios, an Archieratical Divine Liturgy was performed in the Holy Cathedral of Chios by Most Rev. Metropolitan Markos of Chios, Psara and Oinoussai, following which Sessions II, III, and IV were carried out according to the Timetable.
