Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece expressed his joy in welcoming Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to the Archdiocese of Athens.
During their 30-minute meeting, they discussed matters concerning the Greek diaspora and the pivotal role of the Archdiocese of America in preserving and strengthening the Greek community’s bonds with Greece.
As Archbishop Ieronymos emphasized, his acquaintance with and collaboration with Archbishop Elpidophoros have deep roots and a long history. Archbishop Elpidophoros holds a distinguished position through which he supports Hellenism in multifaceted and exemplary ways. Archbishop Elpidophoros noted that the Archbishop of America naturally serves as the leader of the Greek diaspora.
“We are truly grateful for your services,” Archbishop Ieronymos stressed, “both to our Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church we so deeply respect and love, and to our Greek community in America.”
Archbishop Ieronymos congratulated the Archbishop of America on his upcoming honorary doctorate from the Department of Administrative Science and Technology at the University of Patras. The ceremony will take place on Friday, December 5, at 12:00 p.m. at the university’s conference and cultural center.
For his part, the Archbishop of America emphasized that whenever he visits Archbishop Ieronymos in Athens, it is not merely a fulfillment of ecclesiastical duty, but a great joy because Archbishop Ieronymos is always hospitable, cordial, and fatherly. This is well known to most of the faithful of the Archdiocese of America, many of whom are of Greek origin.
As the Archbishop of America noted, Archbishop Ieronymos is a highly respected figure as the Primate of the Church of the Motherland, and we need him alongside our Mother Church of Constantinople.
The Archbishop of America referred to historic moments in recent Christian history, including those in Nicaea of Bithynia and Constantinople. In Nicaea, the Creed was recited without the Filioque, and at the Phanar, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIII signed the Joint Declaration.
Finally, the Archbishop thanked Archbishop Ieronymos for the warm welcome and expressed his hope to host him in New York one day.
Photos: Christos Bonis
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
