Archbishop Elpidophoros of America delivered a speech on the first day of the 4th International Conference of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
He was introduced by Dr. Antonios Lyberakis, National Commander of the Archons, who highlighted the Archbishop’s significant contributions, stating, “Under your leadership, Your Eminence, the Bartholomew Foundation has already raised $24 million. The Archons of America are proud to stand together with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.”
In his address, Archbishop Elpidophoros emphasized the historical significance of the conference’s location: “WWe are here at the Agora of Ancient Athens, as much the birthplace of Western Civilisation as anywhere in the world. From the Stoa of Attalos to the Church of the Holy Apostles, the Agora encompasses the legacy of Hellas and the essence of what it means to be human, created in the image and likeness of God.”
He also spoke warmly of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens. “These are two monumental personalities of our Orthodoxy,” he stressed in a part of his speech.
.Highlighting the importance of the Phanar he concluded by praying, “May God grant them Many Years of Health and blessings, so that we may live in the light they bring to our lives, casting away all shadow and gloom, and reveal the light of the Risen Christ in our world. Amen!”
Read the speech of the Archbishop below:
This moment when such a highly esteemed company of noble and spiritual personages is gathered for the sake of the Great Church of Christ, is deeply moving and profoundly inspirational. We are here at the Agora of Ancient Athens, as much the birthplace of Western Civilisation as anywhere in the world.
From the Stoa of Attalos to the Church of the Holy Apostles, the Agora encompasses the legacy of Hellas and the essence of what it means to be human, created in the image and likeness of God. That is why the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate have gathered here from around the globe. So that just as the Archons of Athens held together for the sake of their State, we might hold together -a phalanx of righteousness and peace- for the sake of the purely spiritual mission of the Mother Church of Constantinople.
We give abundant thanks for the clarity that Greece gives the world, and we shall hear more of this distinct Hellenic brilliance. But for now, we rejoice in the presence of these two spiritual fathers of prodigious spiritual power and persuasion. Giving thanks to his Beatitude, we await the words and wisdom of His All-Holiness. Both are exemplars par excellence of the Gospel, and we are blessed indeed to have them with their steady hands on the rudder of the Church, as it navigates the tempests and squalls of contemporary life.
May God grant them Many Years of Health and blessings, so that we may live in the light they bring to our lives, casting away all shadow and gloom, and reveal the light of the Risen Christ in our world. Amen!
