The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, François-Philippe Champagne, visited today at noon Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece.
The minister stressed that his visit to the Archbishop is the first stop of his tour, noting that “the Church of Greece plays an important role in world affairs” and said that a very significant number of Greeks live in Canada.
He also characterized the contribution of the Church as very important and called on the Archbishop to find topics in order to jointly support the people and especially the youth.
For his part, the Archbishop expressed his joy for this meeting, emphasizing that “for all of us, Canada is a story. It is a country that has embraced a large number of Greeks since the old days” and spoke about his friendship with the Metropolitan Sotirios of Canada and the Greek ambassador.
Speaking about the Church’s contribution, the Archbishop referred to its contribution during the Turkish occupation, noting that it offered its property to strengthen the struggle. “After all, this was, is and will be the mission of the Church,” said Archbishop Ieronymos.
The minister invited Archbishop Ieronymos to Canada and asked him for a message for the country’s Orthodox. The Archbishop stressed that “Greece is a beautiful country that knows how to overcome difficulties. Greece experienced wars, poverty, civil wars, diseases and adventures but still stands. After all, Church and State work together to deal with everyday problems.”
Source: Church of Greece
