On 22 November Abba Seraphim, Father Peter Farrington and Reader Trevor Maskery attended the annual Constantinople Lecture held at Lambeth Palace.  This year’s lecture was delivered by His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK & Ireland,  on the subject, “The New Testament Apocrypha and The Armenian Church Canon of the Bible.” The lecture, which was organised by the Anglican & Eastern Churches Association  in conjunction with the Nikaean Club, was preceded by Choral Evensong in the Archbishop’s Chapel for St. Cecilia’s Day.  Following the lecture all those present sat down for supper in the Palace’s Guard Room .

The full text of Bishop Vahan’s talk is published in the current issue of the Anglican & Eastern Churches Association journal, Koinonia, New Series No. 60 (All Saintstide 2012)

On 30 July His All-Holiness the Oecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomaeus I, received Abba Seraphim at the Phanar, accompanied by Mr. Trevor Maskery and Archimandrite Deiniol of the Wales Orthodox Mission within the Oecumenical Patriarchate.  The Patriarch expressed himself very happy to see Abba Seraphim again and gently reproved him for having not visited Constantinople for a number of years. During their meeting they were able to discuss matters of mutual concern and interest.

At the Patriarch’s invitation Abba Seraphim and his companions were invited to join him and members of the Holy Synod for lunch,  after which they continued their conversation in the Throne Room of the Phanar. During his time at the Phanar Abba Seraphim also visited the Patriarchal Church of St. George.

On 26 July Abba Seraphim visited His Eminence Archbishop Aram Ateshian, General Vicar (Acting Patriarch) of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople at the Patriarchate in Kumkapi, Istanbul, accompanied by Mr. Trevor Maskery and Archimandrite Deiniol of the Wales Orthodox Mission, who was visiting the city at the same time. This was in return for Archbishop Aram’s visit to the British Orthodox Secretariat at Charlton in March. They were able to discuss a number of matters of common interest, including the progress of the Papal election and the current health of His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II, who since 2008 has been suffering from Frontal temporal degenerative dementia and has been unable to exercise his office. His physical and mental situation have steadily deteriorated and he is now being cared for at Surp Pirgic Armenian Hospital in Yedikule.

On Sunday, 29 July Abba Seraphim accompanied Archbishop Aram to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at Surp Yerits Mangants (Three Holy Youths) Armenian Church at Boyacikoy and afterwards lunched with members of the congregation in their recently renovated church on the Bosphorus.

Warm fraternal links between the British Orthodox Church and the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul have existed for a number of years and go back to the time of the late Karekin II (Kazanjian), Patriarch  of Istanbul (1995-1998). Abba Seraphim also participated in the enthronement of His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II.

On 15 July, Abba Seraphim, accompanied by Subdeacon Wulfric (Paul) Ashdown and Trevor Maskery, attended the morning Eucharist at St. George-in-the-East, Shadwell, to celebrate the anniversary of the church’s dedication in 1729. It also provided a suitable opportunity for members of the local congregation to meet representatives of the British Orthodox Church, who have been worshipping at their church for the past few months.

Apart from a formal welcome from Canon Michael Ainsworth, the Rector, they were warmly greeted by all present and afterwards participated in a festive barbecue in the Rectory Garden, where they were later joined by the Archdeacon of Hackney (The Venerable Rachel Treweek) who expressed her delight that the Orthodox London Mission was worshipping at St. George’s Church and the Rev’d Janina Ainsworth, (also the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer), who had officiated at the morning service. After many months of uncertain weather and heavy rain, the weather remained dry and, as it was St. Swithun’s day, the hope was expressed that if it held off  the old legend of 40 days of dry weather might ensue. It also being Trevor Maskery’s birthday, Father Michael very kindly had the church tower opened for him so that his wish to climb it might be granted. In this he was joined by Abba Seraphim and Subdeacon Wulfric.

On 27 March Abba Seraphim was delighted to welcome His Eminence Archbishop Aram Ateshian, General Vicar (Acting Patriarch) of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople to the British Orthodox Church Secretariat at Charlton and to take him on a tour of some of the religious and historical  sites of Greenwich. His Eminence was visiting London for a few days and was accompanied by Father John Whooley, with whom he was staying during his visit. Accompanied by Mr Trevor Maskery, Abba Seraphim met the Archbishop at Greenwich Pier and the party lunched together before touring Greenwich.

The first site was St. Alfege’s Parish Church, where they prayed at the memorial marking the place of the saint’s martyrdom a thousand years ago. After this they visited the Old Royal Naval College (now Greenwich University) beginning with the Painted Hall and concluding with the fine chapel, where they were received by the chaplain, Rev’d Jeremy Frost. They then drove into Greenwich Park to view the Royal Observatory and the fine views across London. After this they drove to Charlton where Abba Seraphim introduced Archbishop Aram to his three resident aquatic Van Cats: Hripsime, Shoushan and Senekerim. They later discussed matters of mutual interest, before dining together in the evening.

The British Orthodox Church and the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople have long enjoyed warm relations and since the illness and incapacity of Patriarch Mesrob II, Archbishop Aram has served as Acting Patriarch. Abba Seraphim will be visiting Istanbul this summer and Archbishop Aram assured him of a warm welcomed at the Patriarchate in Kumkapi.