Nikos Deja Vu - Panagia Soumela - Patriarch Bartholomew - August 15, 2010 - PONTOS (Trabzon) First celebrations after 88 years... Panagia Soumela - Patriarch Bartholomew and the Metropolite Pavlos of Drama city (Greece) who sings! Pontos, 15 August, 2010 (Trabzon, Turkey) A historical day for the Orthodox Christians and the Pontian Greeks. And do not forget the pontian lyric: "Η Ρωμανία κι αν επέρασεν ανθεί και φέρει κι άλλο" (Though Hellenism has passed, it blooms and brings forth more) _____ ‎15 AUGUST 2010 - Historic Mass at Panagia Sumela Monastery Driven by deep faith and memories of a painful past seven thousands pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and Romania attend the historical mass at Panagia Sumela Monastery in Trabzon, Turkey. The Sunday mass, the first after 88 years at the derelict monastery, is being led by Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide. "I am overwhelmed" said Orthodox Patriach Bartholomew upon his arrival in Trabzon, " I came here to wake up memories, I came here to join the present with the past and the future." The spiritual leader of Greek Orthodoxy stressed the historical meaning of the mass and spoke of "a bridge for communication and trust" between religious minorities and Turkish authorities. It is the first time a Turkish government has ever given the green light for an official liturgy, apparently in a show of loosening restrictions on religious expression of non-Muslims minorities in ...