New Head of the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania Elected; Patriarch’s Visit Planned

 On 26 May 2026, in Constantinople (Istanbul), at a session of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the new Bishop of Themis, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in Lithuania, was elected — Archimandrite Panaretos Psaravtis. The new Exarch is expected to arrive in Lithuania on 7 June, when the local Orthodox community will be visited by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew himself.

His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew will visit Lithuania at the invitation of the Roman Catholic Archbishop Gintaras Grušas and will take part in the Congress of Mercy. The Orthodox community’s service with the participation of the Patriarch and the new Exarch will take place on 7 June at 9:00 at the Trinapolis Church of the Holy Trinity (Verkių St. 70, Vilnius). After the service, there will be a meeting with the community.

Archimandrite Panaretos Psaravtis, elected today and set to serve in Lithuania, is a priest and monk born in Chania, Crete; he serves in a parish in Constantinople where Slavic and Turkish Christian communities exist.

He was tonsured a monk in 2002 and ordained to the priesthood in 2003. Father Panaretos began his ministry in the Metropolis of Rethymno and Avlopotamos of the Church of Crete. In 2014, he was invited to serve in Constantinople.

For his worthy service, in 2010 he received the rank of Archimandrite, and in 2016 — the title of Great Preacher (Megas Ierokyrix).