Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey issued a strong and unequivocal statement condemning what he described as “unacceptable and gravely slanderous statements” made by Russian state agencies against Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
“With disappointment and disbelief we express our profound grief over the recent unacceptable and gravely slanderous statements made by state agencies of our fellow Russian Orthodox Christians against His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,” the Metropolitan stated, adding that such attacks “seek also to strike at the most sacred institution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself” and “regrettably… wound the unity of our Orthodox Church.”
Emphasizing the unique role of the Church of Constantinople, Metropolitan Apostolos underlined that it is the “first-throned, ruling yet suffering Church” which, according to the Sacred Canons and the Tradition of the Orthodox Church, “holds the primacy of ministry and sacrifice among the Orthodox Churches.” He stressed that this primacy is not one of power, but of service: “This ministry is not the exercise of dynastic power but of maternal and martyrial service; it does not express domination, but responsibility, offering and sacrifice for the benefit of the entire ecclesial body.”
In particularly vivid language, the Metropolitan highlighted the spiritual witness of the Phanar, noting that “the Ecumenical Patriarchate, without protection from the powers of this world, has borne the Cross of the Lord for seventeen centuries.” He added: “The Phanar theologizes; it does not engage in politics. It serves; it does not rule. It is crucified; it does not crucify… It is not a beacon of fire, but a lighthouse of unquenchable eternal Light, that the cold northern wind cannot extinguish.”
Turning to the person of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Metropolitan Apostolos affirmed that “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is widely recognized as a steadfast servant of the unity of the Church.” He praised his consistent commitment to synodality, respect for the autonomy of local Churches, and tireless efforts “for the preservation of ecclesiastical peace, even in times of tension and trial,” describing the Ecumenical Patriarchate under his leadership as “a beacon of canonical order, theological responsibility and patristic fidelity.”
Concluding his statement, Metropolitan Apostolos offered heartfelt prayers on the occasion of the thirty-fifth anniversary of Patriarch Bartholomew’s enthronement. “We humbly offer to His All-Holiness our warm and heartfelt filial wishes,” he said, praying that God may grant him “health, bodily strength, and spiritual endurance.” He closed with Christ’s prayer for unity: “We pray ‘that they all may be one’ (John 17:21), so that the Orthodox Church, united and faithful to its Tradition, may continue its mission as a place of hope, healing, and salvation for the human person in every age.”
Read the full statement below: 
