Phanar hierarch in US asks Trump to defend Patriarch Bartholomew

Archbishop Elpidophoros at a reception with Donald Trump. Photo: orthodoxtimes.com

On July 24, 2020, Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis), head of the Phanariote Archdiocese in the United States, appealed to US President Donald Trump to protect the Patriarchate of Constantinople and Patriarch Bartholomew, according to Ethnos.gr.

“I am grateful to have met with President Trump and Vice President Pence at the White House and communicated our grave dismay at the re-conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, as well as ongoing security concerns for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and issues of religious liberty,” wrote Elpidophoros.

He also stressed that "In view of tomorrow’s day of mourning, we persevere in prayer but also bring our struggle to the highest levels of government for action and consideration."

During the meeting with Archbishop Elpidophoros, the US President expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Turkish President's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque and said that he was seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Turkey and, in particular, the situation regarding the religious freedoms of national minorities.

The publication notes that "In fact, Mr. Trump stressed that he would proceed immediately with all the necessary interventions."

In addition, the American president said that he is "willing to offer his assistance and support to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and personally to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as to Hellenism in general."

The pro-Phanar publication Orthodoxtimes.com writes that “After the scheduled 30-minute meeting that Archbishop Elpidophoros had with US Vice President Michael Pence in Washington, Mr. Trump, informed of the Archbishop’s presence in the White House, called him to his office and talked with him thoroughly about all the critical issues for about 15 minutes."

In turn, Michael Pence tweeted that "America will stand firm with the Greek Orthodox Church in the call for Hagia Sophia to remain accessible as a source of inspiration and reflection for every person of every faith."

The US Vice President stated that “Protecting Religious Freedom at home and abroad is a foreign policy priority for the United States of America. We cherish the faith and charitable works of the 1.5 million members of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to political strategist Andrei Zolotarev, the head of the Phanar Archdiocese in the United States is building a "papal" Church for himself.

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