Archbishop Elpidophoros of America welcomed Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, to the Archdiocese headquarters in Manhattan on Thursday, Sept. 24. The minister is in New York as part of Greece’s participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Archbishop Elpidophoros congratulated Minister Papastavrou on what he called a marathon of service in government, in which the minister plays a key role. “The Greek-American community, follows your work and knows how to recognize what truly matters,” His Eminence said. He thanked the minister on their behalf.
Minister Papastavrou accepted the words on behalf of the government and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and in turn thanked the Archbishop for the work of the Church. “At a time of so many changes in our lives and of geopolitical turbulence, I believe the Church is an anchor for Hellenism,” he said. “This is a time when we all need spiritual guidance,” he added.
Archbishop Elpidophoros spoke about this summer’s 48th Clergy-Laity Congress in Cleveland, the biennial national assembly of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which reaffirms the close partnership of clergy and laity. Lay members take the lead in the Church’s administration and finances, he explained. Lay representatives serve alongside clergy in the Clergy-Laity Congress and Archdiocesan Council, helping ensure transparency and sound stewardship.
His Eminence presented the minister with an icon of the Holy Trinity, a copy of the one at the Theological School of Halki, which stands on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Monastery. The Archbishop served there as abbot for eight years.
Minister Papastavrou invited His Eminence to pay an official visit to the Ministry of Environment and Energy on his next trip to Greece.
Before leaving New York, the minister asked to visit St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center on Friday morning. It will be his first time at the shrine, and the name carries personal meaning for him: his late father and his son are both named Nikos.
