Metropolitan of Sweden and all Scandinavia Cleopas travelled to the borders of the Arctic Circle, in the north of Sweden, 1,000 kilometers from the seat of his Province in Stockholm, from Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20, 2022, accompanied by the Head of the Oslo Metropolitan Church, Panosiol Archimandrite Alexandros Loukatos, paying a pastoral visit to the Missionary Community of the Transfiguration of the Savior Överkalix.

His visit came after the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions during Lent, allowing him to visit the community of the Transfiguration of the Savior, which was founded in 2,000 and formerly belonged to the former orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe, under the Russian Tradition. Following the dissolution of the Exarchate, the community was normally placed under the Holy See of Sweden.

On Friday afternoon, the two clergymen were welcomed at Luleå Airport by Deacon Urban Widetun who took them to the chapel of the Transfiguration, where they were welcomed by Pastor Ed. Elder Dr. Benedict Bengt Pohjanen and Presbytera Monica.

On Saturday afternoon, His Eminence and Fr. Alexandros attended a luncheon organised by the Church Council of the local community followed by a meeting with the participation of Fr. Benedict and deacon Urban, where gratitude was expressed to the Holy Metropolis for the continued moral and material support.

In the afternoon, the Bishop officiated at the Vespers and the Orthros (according to the Slavonic Standard) and talked with the youth of the community.
On Sunday morning, the Metropolitan led the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the chapel of the Transfiguration, with the participation of Fr. Alexander, Fr. Benedict, and Deacon Urban. The Divine Liturgy was performed in Greek, Swedish, English, Russian and Finnish.

In his speech, among other things, the Bishop stated the following: “We are together today, to prove our unity in Christ, to pray together, to be spiritually strengthened in the stage of the Lent struggles.”

“Today we celebrated the memory of St. Gregory of Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, who was a leading Teacher of Orthodox Doctrine, an unrivaled opponent of evils, and a Preacher of Divine Grace. God’s grace, as energy, is uncreated. Uncreated grace can only be felt and experienced empirically. The grace of God approaches the man with the Mysteries of the Church, but it also asks for our response. Only then does it become active and fruitful.”