On Friday, May 24, 2024, Archon leadership greeted Archbishop Elpidophoros of America as he arrived in Athens, Greece, for the 4th Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom.
For the first time in history, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are traveling to Athens this week to participate in the Fourth International Conference of the Archons for Religious Freedom. This landmark event, scheduled for May 26-28, 2024, will concentrate on pressing topics such as human rights, democracy, and religious freedom. The conference will feature a lineup of internationally distinguished speakers, including former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dr. Despina Hadjivassiliou-Tsovilis, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas, who also serves as President of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE).
The agenda will address critical issues, such as the treatment of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the rising tide of authoritarianism, its implications for religious communities, and the role of religion in global geopolitics.
The conference is co-chaired by Archon Athanasios Martinos, President of the Brotherhood of Pammakaristos of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe, and Archon Dr. Antonios Lyberakis, National Commander of the Archons of America. Following the conference, Mr. Martinos and Dr. Lyberakis will lead the inaugural International Archons Conference, where they will outline strategic initiatives to defend the Ecumenical Patriarchate and establish a platform for coordinating Archon activities across the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are a committed group of influential leaders dedicated to protecting religious freedom for all and ensuring the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate—the historic spiritual center of over 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Photos by J. Mindala
