Preparations for the late Archbishop Stylianos’ funeral continued in Sydney today with over 30 clergy and senior lay officials meeting at the Archdiocese complex in Redfern.
Priests from across the city gathered for a set of morning prayers, before a private meeting of clergy took place inside the nave of the Annunciation Cathedral.
Senior priests also engaged with teams of local police, as authorities formulated plans to close off the section of Cleveland Street in front of the Archdiocese gates for Friday’s public viewing and Trisagion service.
READ MORE: Archbishop Stylianos’ life in photos
With a strong chance of rain late Friday and early Saturday morning, officials at the Archdiocese complex considered floor plans and outdoor spaces with the intention of erecting overhead covers for the thousands of delegates and faithful expected to attend both days’ events.
While most local clerics remain reluctant to publicly comment on further details, media reports circulated overnight that Metropolitan Archbishop Panteleimon of Vryoula had been designated to officiate Saturday’s funeral as the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Panteleimon, who was elevated to Metropolitan in 2018, previously served as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Australia with posts in Adelaide and Melbourne.
READ MORE: The primate’s funeral is on Saturday