LAST UPDATE: 16:00
The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos, met today with U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle at the Archdiocese of Athens, where both emphasized the need for peace and the importance of dialogue among nations.
During the meeting, the Archbishop referred to the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump and his initiatives to promote peace and stability worldwide, acknowledging his role in advancing dialogue and mutual understanding.
Ambassador Guilfoyle expressed her joy and gratitude for the opportunity to meet the Primate of the Church of Greece, calling it both a “blessing” and a privilege.
“I consider it a wonderful opportunity and blessing to be close to the Church of Greece and to learn more about its mission,” she said, highlighting the Church’s vital contribution, particularly to young people, whom she described as “the future and the hope of our world.”
She added that one of the reasons she chose to serve in Greece was because of the country’s unique balance between religious tolerance and deep faith:
“It moves me deeply to witness this spiritual depth, and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience it firsthand,” she stated.
Ambassador Guilfoyle also revealed that when she was first approached by President Trump to assume her post as U.S. Ambassador to Greece, her first call was to Archbishop Ieronymos.
“That conversation was a very special experience,” she noted. “Thank you for the encouragement you gave me then, and for the spiritual connection I felt — a bond I look forward to deepening during my service in Greece.”
Following the meeting, Ambassador Guilfoyle said: “We had a wonderful discussion with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos. I conveyed the greetings of the President of the United States and assured him of our nation’s and my personal support for the Church’s philanthropic and social initiatives. Beyond the personal stories we shared, I assured His Beatitude that he can count on my ongoing cooperation and participation in the Church’s outreach to communities and charitable institutions serving the most vulnerable. I would be truly happy to contribute to these efforts.”
Archbishop Ieronymos expressed his warm appreciation for the Ambassador’s visit, emphasizing the long-standing friendship between Greece and the United States. He asked her to convey his gratitude to President Trump and urged continued efforts to end wars and divisions, making special reference to the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai, which he described as a center of Orthodoxy and Christianity that holds a place of special concern for him.
Photos: EUROKINISSI / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
