Metropolitan of Sweden: God’s grace approaches the man with the church’s sacrament
Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and all of Scandinavia visited the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, from Friday 18 March to Sunday 20 March 2022, together with the head of the Metropolitan Church of Oslo, Archimandrite Alexandros Loukatos, on a pastoral visit to the missionary community The Savior’s Transformation Överkalix.
During the Great Lent, and in view of the lifting of the restrictive measures to combat the pandemic, the Metropolitan was allowed to visit the community of the Transfiguration of the Savior, founded in 2000 and belonging to the former Russian Orthodox Church’s exarchate Tradition in Western Europe. After the dissolution of the exarchate, the community became part of Sweden’s Holy Metropolis.
On Friday afternoon, the two priests at Luleå Airport were greeted by deacon Urban Widetun and taken to Metamorphos Chapel, where they were welcomed by priest Benedikt Bengt Pohjanen and his wife Monica.
Subsequently, the Metropolitan presided over the Small Compline Service and the second stasis of the greetings in the Chapel of Transformation, which is decorated with more than 100 portable icons, works by Monica Pohjanen.
At Saturday noon, Metropolitan and Father Alexander attended a luncheon, kindly offered by the ecclesiastical council of the above congregations, followed by a meeting, attended by the above, by Fr. Benedict and deacon Urbanos, during which everyone’s gratitude was expressed to the holy metropolis, for the continued moral and material support. Metropolitan Cleopas congratulated Fr. Benedict for his highly acclaimed missionary, pastoral and writing work, as well as his wife Monica.
In the afternoon of the same day, the bishop performed the vespers and orthoses service (according to the Slavic type icon) and talked to the young people in the community.
On Sunday morning, the Metropolitan presided over the hierarchical divine liturgy in the chapel of the Transfiguration, with the participation of Fr. Alexander, Fr. Benedict and Deacon Urbanos. The divine liturgy was performed in Greek, Swedish, English, Russian and Finnish.
In his speech, the bishop said, among other things: “We are together today, to prove our unity in Christ, to pray together, to strengthen spiritually.”
“Today the memory of St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki. St. Gregory Palamas was a leading teacher of orthodox doctrines and a proclamation of divine grace. God’s grace approaches the man with the sacrament of the Church, but also asks for our answer. Only then will it be active and fruitful. ”
He then congratulated the congregation’s clergy: “I congratulate the very dear Elder Dr. Benedict for his rich writing and translation work in the Swedish language, through which the work of the Orthodox Church’s fathers in the hospitable land of the Kingdom of Sweden is made known.
“Together with Deacon Urbanos, you are invited to meet the modern requirements of our role as priests.”
“This chapel is a jewel of orthodoxy in northern Sweden.
I bless the prominent members of your Church Council and congratulate you all on your missionary zeal, which we support in every way, morally and financially.
We look forward to seeing you all at St. George’s Cathedral in Stockholm. Our clergy will serve with us and the lay people will participate in the worship service in prayer. ”
After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Cleopas inaugurated the new hagiographies on the dome of the chapel and offered society its studies in English for Saint Nektarios of Pentapolis, and in Swedish the Divine Liturgy, a children’s book, Salutations to the Theotokos, and Anavasis by Fr. Eusebius Vittis, offered by the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece and its Director-General, Metropolitan Agathangelos of Phanar.
Representatives of the Lutheran Church in the Luleå region, Åsa Nyström, Charlotte Rehnman and Maria Sundin, as well as representatives of Överkalix municipality, Anne Jacobsson and Niclas Hökfors also participated in the Sunday syntax.
Lunch followed at a restaurant in the area and in the afternoon of the same day, Metropolitan left for Stockholm and father Alexander went to Oslo.