Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave an interview to the National Herald newspaper on the 29th anniversary of his election to the First Throne of the Orthodox Church.
In the interview, he spoke about the day of his enthronement, November 2, 1991, making his way from his birthplace, the beautiful and long-suffering island of Imbros.
The Ecumenical Patriarch said: “In the village (Agioi Theodoroi) we did not have a water supply in the house, so we carried it with pitchers from the public water fountains. We also did not have electricity. I was studying with the oil lamp that we bought from the village grocer.”
The little boy called Dimitris Archontonis, who is today the Ecumenical Patriarch of Orthodoxy and the Gentile, and who after school helped his father, Christos, in the cafe and barbershop, adores his birthplace, Imbros, so he tries to visit his island whenever he can.
He announced that he planned to celebrate Easter Day there in early May next year. Springtime will be wonderful here.” It is recalled that he had celebrated Easter Day again in Imbros in 2013 while it is not excluded that his life would end there.
Specifically, he stated that “Imbros is an integral part of my life, where my earthly life will probably end at the nursery home I promised to build as a token of gratitude to my beloved and long-suffering birthplace.”
He spoke about the non-reopening of the Halki seminary, which is his main distress. He asked meaningfully “why the (Turkish) government is so fearful to reopen the seminary, why it is intimidated by the presence of 50-100 students who will serve humankind as clergy or teachers, as preachers of love and peace and solidarity between peoples and nations.”
His concern is the unity of the Orthodox Church, while when the Ecumenical Patriarch was asked about the ecclesiology, he said that “we must admit that in an indivisible Ecumenical Orthodoxy there is one ‘First,’ not only in terms of honor but also in terms of special responsibilities and canonical competencies assigned by the Ecumenical Councils. This is a guarantee of maintaining the unity and common testimony of Orthodoxy over time in today’s world.”
He loves and appreciates Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Asked about the course of Archbishop Elpidophoros so far, he described it as “dynamic and positive.” “God enlightened us and we elected a worthy, intelligent, hardworking, determined and courageous Archbishop for this great diocese of the Throne, who is faithful and devoted to the Mother Church,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch.