With the Archbishop of America Mr. Elpidophoros met this morning, Thursday January 25, 2024, at the Archbishop’s Palace o Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Mr. Ieronymos.

THE meeting of the two church leaders and the members of His Eminence’s entouragelasted forty minutes and topics of current ecclesiastical topicality were discussed.

After the meeting, His Excellency Mr. Elpidophoros made the following statement: “The political leaderships of the two countries are showing the right path, that the USA and Greece are working together for the benefit of both sides. Certainly the Church preceded this communion, because we always come together. The Church of Greece is the Church of our homeland, of all expatriates. As we love the country, we also love its Church. Expatriates are always at the disposal of His Beatitude and the Church of Greece, in good times as well as in difficult times. As in natural disasters, fires and floods, but also in the joys of our homeland, we are always on the side of the Church and Greece”.

For his part, His Holiness stated: “I would like to agree with the Most Reverend Archbishop and emphasize that this kind of meetings, the exchange of views, this cooperation benefits both our side and the Orthodox Church of America. There is a common point that we must especially emphasize, that the place that connects us the two Churches, is the Patriarchate. This is the heart of Orthodoxy and we should strive to work so that this cooperation and unity will benefit the Church and our country”.

Answering journalists’ questions about current affairs, His Beatitude underlined that the “Freedom in man is a very important thing and we must all take this into account. And the Church, but also the State. Neither the Church should have the bayonet ready, nor should the State want to put shackles on any place in our country”.

To the same question, the Archbishop of America Mr. Elpidophoros emphasized: “I absolutely agree with His Holiness with what he said. Because we read the same Gospel, we teach the same Gospel, and there could not be any different opinion on this matter”.

Answering a question on the issue of baptism, Mr. Ieronymos emphasized that “we must return to tradition again. If children are baptized at an early age, it is because within the Church the feeling was created that the child grows up in an environment of Christian principles. Therefore, there was no need for indoctrination, because it was done within the environment. Now that things are changing, we are not against children. We love and care for children more than anyone else. The Church will wait for these children to reach an age and when they grow up and wish to be baptized, they will be baptized.”

Mr. Elpidophoros, responding to the same issue, said that “I have nothing to add, His Holiness said it all.”

The Most Reverend Archbishop of America was accompanied by the High President of AHEPA Mr. Savvas Tsivikos, the Vice President of the National Philanthropic Brotherhood of the Archdiocese of America Mrs. Annita Kartalopoulou, the businessman Mr. Steve Zervoudis and Rev. Protopresbyter Fr. Alexandros Karloutsos.