The ordination of Metropolitan Bishop of Ankara Gregorios was celebrated with great splendor on the Sunday of Holy Forefathers on December 14, 2025, at the Patriarchal Church of St. Georgios in Phanar.

The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos, accompanied by prelates of the Ecumenical Throne as well as of sister Churches.

Among them, the Bishops of Didymoteichos Damaskinos, Alexandroupolis Anthimos, Imvros and Tenedos Kirillos, Fthiotis Simeon, Saranta Churches Andrew and Thera, Amorgos and the Islands Amphilochios, as well as other high priests.

Before the ordination, the Ecumenical Patriarch addressed a speech to the new Metropolitan, referring warmly to his character and his long ministry at the Phanar since 2008, noting that the new Metropolitan served for many years in various positions of responsibility, culminating in the office of Grand Archangel of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew referred to the consistency and dedication shown by His Eminence, while he made special reference to the acquaintance and appreciation shown to him by the faithful of Istanbul and Imvros, due to his pastoral and pedagogical presence, especially among the youth.

Then, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the historical and contemporary reality of the Ankara Metropolitanate, noting that more than ten thousand Orthodox of various national origins live and work in the Turkish capital. He called on the new Metropolitan to preserve the spirit of peaceful coexistence, solidarity, and freedom, rejecting all forms of fundamentalism.

His Holiness stressed that the Church of Constantinople rejoices in the well-deserved promotion of a member of the Church, who is called to embody the spirit of the Phanar, the continuation of the tradition of the Church, while at the same time demonstrating pastoral sensitivity to the needs of modern times, caring for the human being. Referring to the image of a relay race, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed that the life of the Church presupposes continuity, solidarity, and coordination. He stressed that every generation and every functionary of the Church is called not only to preserve what it has received, but also to pass through “its own stage” with vigilance and a dynamic presence, noting that “no one wins alone.”

Summing up the mission of the new Metropolitan, the Ecumenical Patriarch highlighted two central axes: the Eucharist and the Diaconate. He stressed that the Bishop is first and foremost the presider of the Eucharistic assembly and that his ecclesiastical responsibility and honour derive from it. At the same time, he stressed that the episcopal ministry must be expressed as a constant offering and sacrificial love for man, according to the model of Jesus Christ.

Concluding his speech, His Holiness referred to the theological work of the new Metropolitan and, in particular, to his contribution to the issue of the Ukrainian Autocephaly, as well as to his book on the ecclesiastical law of ordinations. He urged him to continue to draw inspiration from theology for his pastoral, liturgical, and preaching work.

Numerous Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne, clergy, Archbishops of the Ecumenical Throne, as well as official representatives of the Greek and Ukrainian diplomacy, local government officials, relatives of the new Metropolitan, and a large number of believers from Constantinople, Thrace, and other regions attended the ordination.

Immediately after the consecration, in the crowded Throne Room of the Patriarchal House, the new Metropolitan of Ankara, Gregorios, responded, expressing his gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Holy and Sacred Synod for his election, while declaring his intention to devote himself fully to the ministry of the flock of the Metropolis of Ankara.