New York, NY (GOARCH) – Today, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros met with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House on the concerns of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese over the seizure and re-conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Following the meeting with the President and Vice President, the Archbishop stated:“I am grateful to have met with President Trump and Vice President Pence in 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. 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.”
And also...
(Greek Reporter) - Archbishop Elpidophoros of America met with President Trump and Vice President Pence late on Thursday to discuss Turkey’s recent decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque.The previously-unannounced meeting with the President and Vice President at the White House was an opportunity for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to air their deep concerns over the seizure of the Byzantine-era building.US President Donald Trump expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the decision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque at the meeting.After the scheduled 30-minute meeting on Thursday that Archbishop Elpidophoros had with US Vice President, Trump, informed of the Archbishop’s presence in the White House, called him to his office and spoke with him on critical issues for about 15 minutes.The US President appeared very annoyed and expressed his concern about the issue of the protection of human rights and especially religious freedoms of minorities in Turkey. In fact, he declared himself a helper and supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and personally of Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as of Hellenism, and stressed that he would proceed immediately with the necessary interventions.Following the meeting with the President and Vice President, the Archbishop stated “I am grateful to have met with President Trump and Vice President Pence in 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.“In view of tomorrow’s day of mourning, we persevere in prayer but also bring our struggle to the highest levels of authority.”After the meeting Pence said 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 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has already declared Friday as a day of mourning over the reconversion of the hallowed building, which served for almost a thousand years as the seat of all Eastern Christianity.The cathedral of Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the 1453 fall of the city of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. It was made into a secular museum in 1935 and is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.Friday, July 24 marks the first day that a Muslim prayer service has been scheduled to take place in Hagia Sophia in many years.
Posts
Did they also talk about getting a bust of Aristotle in the Oval Office? That's important...
ReplyDeleteI vote for Pericles.
DeleteUnwise for the Phanar to interfere in internal Turkish affairs. I would not be surprised if repercussions will be forthcoming.
ReplyDelete"proceed immediately with the necessary interventions." OK, that's taken care of then.
ReplyDeleteInteresting he went to Washington D.C. instead of Moscow. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. "
ReplyDeleteWould it been better if an American born eastern orthodox patriarch with a cathedral in Washington d c,,,speaking articulate English without an accent have had a better chance to plead the case for all of Christianity? This is a Christian heritage issue, not a phanar issue, isn't it? What has the Greek Orthodox Church done for America to make America want to champion the cause? Colleges? Hospitals? We have been very shortsighted, the goal has been very short sighted,,,and this is tragic,,very tragic
ReplyDeleteAs if the rc church would have any more clout. Churchmen are now decorations you pull out ever so often then forget about them.
DeleteWho's this guy? Isn't the Mormon due in about fifteen minutes, then the visiting firemen, the champion girl scout cookie seller and miss Watermelon....why do orthodox clerics always think it matters to be seen with the president? Just plain childish. We are constantly "led" by bachelors with the functioning level of about 7th grade.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I think that the content of what President Trump sounds more like Phanar doublespeak than anything the President actually said.
ReplyDeleteI think he means well but we have tied his hands,,,this is not an American church asking on behalf of world wide Christianity,,,,this is a foreigner, speaking with a foreign accent asking on behalf of a foreign church which has been taking our money but not investing in our country,,,,therefore he had nothing to advocate for,,,,do not be do fast to blame the president when it is us who should have seen this coming and prepared for it
ReplyDeleteRj the Phanar has deep roots to the State department going back to the end os WW2. Beyond that the rest is speculation.
ReplyDeleteI see no evidence of that but I do see evidence of a patriarch who embarrassed us,,,,,just think that if we were smart and truly Christian, we would have an United Church in the USA, let by Americans, no more hemmoraging money to foreign despots, and having a respected American patriarch with Washington being the fourth time. Egotism and ethnocentricity is not what Jesus taught we were gaining recognition and respect sixty rears ago and the lost it. We should be making a plea for the preservation of a Christian Church in instanbul, not a Greek church, and not by ethnic greeks, but American Christian's,,the phanar connection ended with Truman and athenagoras
ReplyDelete