On Monday, September 15, 2025, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited the White House to meet with President Donald J. Trump, marking the sixth U.S. president he has met with.
The meeting took place in the Oval Office and lasted more than half an hour. It was held in a very cordial atmosphere. President Trump expressed great interest in the Ecumenical Throne’s diverse initiatives and ministry, as well as in the lives of Christians in Turkey.
During the discussion, the Ecumenical Patriarch congratulated the president on his initiatives and efforts to advance peace worldwide, especially in Ukraine. They also discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East.
They also discussed the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV of Rome to Turkey to join the Ecumenical Patriarch in celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea this year. Vice President JD Vance, a Roman Catholic, showed particular interest in the meeting.
The Patriarch offered his condolences to the President for the assassination of his friend, Charlie Kirk, and thanked him for the warm welcome and beautiful gift.
Accompanying the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Oval Office were Archbishop Elpidophoros of America; Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea; Metropolitan Maximos of Silivria; Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, director of the Patriarchal Private Office; and Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Alexander Karloutsos.
Joining the president were the vice president, as well as Reince Priebus, a member of the president’s advisory committee on intelligence services, and Michael Kratsios, the president’s scientific advisor.
Photos: Archons/Orthodox Observer/J. Mindala & Brittainy Newman
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
