Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis expressed clear and unequivocal support for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, commenting on the latest attack launched by Russian state agencies against the Primate of Orthodoxy.
Speaking during today’s briefing of political editors, Marinakis described support for the Ecumenical Patriarch as “a sacred duty of all Orthodox Christians,” stressing that Patriarch Bartholomew is “a person who, beyond the credentials he has demonstrated as the leader of our Church, has consistently taught faith and humanitarian values.”
The statement comes in response to an announcement issued on January 12, 2026, by Russian intelligence services, which alleged that the Ecumenical Patriarch is “attempting to sow division within the Russian Orthodox world by finding common ground with the authorities of the Baltic states.” The same announcement accused him of intending to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Montenegro as a form of retaliation against what it described as the “particularly obstinate Serbian Orthodox Church.”
The Russian statement further included claims of an alleged “cooperation between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and foreign intelligence services,” accusations that have sparked strong reactions both within ecclesiastical circles and at the political level.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate responded swiftly, firmly rejecting the allegations. In its official statement, it underlined that “fabricated scenarios, false news, insults, and manufactured information of every kind spread by propagandists do not deter the Ecumenical Patriarchate from continuing its ministry and its universal mission.”
The Greek government’s public stance adds to a growing wave of political and ecclesiastical support for the Ecumenical Patriarch, amid heightened tensions surrounding issues of Church autonomy and geopolitical influence within the Orthodox world.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
