"I depart, overwhelmed by all that I have seen and experienced", stated His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during a visit to the City of Athens Homeless Foundation Meal Provision Centre today, where the Archdiocese of Athens serves meals to people in need.

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Hieronymos, Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, Senior Archimandrite Gabriel Papanikolaou and Deputy Mayor for Social Solidarity and Homeless Foundation chairman Eleftherios Skiadas received the Patriarch.

The Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop, assisted by school students and Church of Greece volunteers, served meals. The Archbishop then informed the Ecumenical Patriarch about the social work carried out by the Church of Greece, as well as its collaboration with the City of Athens.

Mayo Kaklamanis briefed the Patriarch on the network developed by the City of Athens to protect disadvantaged social groups and spoke of the positive conditions which have been created as a result of the Municipality's cooperation with the Church of Greece.

As part of statements he made to Greek and foreign media at the conclusion of the visit, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew noted:
"I am grateful to His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, who sought to bring me here, so I could see with my own eyes the extensive, wonderful social work which is being conducted in this location by the Church of Greece in harmonious collaboration with the City of Athens. I approached the people here and saw the pain in their eyes, their needs as well as the attention and relief they find in the love of the Church and the Municipality. I express my admiration. I express my deep emotion. I convey my commendation to His Beatitude and the Mayor for this superb all-embracing Christian initiative, through which they took on the responsibility to care for and provide relief to our destitute brothers who find themselves in Greece for various reasons, and require assistance, understanding and support. In carrying out this social mission, the Church and the Municipality demonstrate their respect for the human individual. It demonstrates their respect for the dignity and sacredness of the human individual, every human individual in general, without discrimination and without exception. They do it with so much love and so much discretion, without degrading or embarrassing these needy brothers of ours, which is why their acts and contribution assume greater value in the eyes of God. I would like to once again commend you and say that I depart, overwhelmed by all that I have seen and experienced".

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Hieronymos said:
"I, your Holiness, would like to thank you for being here today, among us, and indeed in this place of humble deaconry. All of this work which is being done is the fruit of collaboration between the Church, the Municipality, our volunteer brothers and, generally, many people who are moved when they see this image. I thank you for your visit and, even more so, I thank you for expressing your thoughts about the human individual, which we respect and must minister to. Many thanks and I would like to say something without intending it to be insinuation, but it is one thing to judge, decide and criticise from the comfort of your sofa at home and another thing to find yourself among these people, to see them and then determine the meaning of life".