On Bright Friday, April 17, 2026, a dedicated briefing on the Ecumenical Patriarchate and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was delivered at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Organized by the Office of Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Effie Triantafilopoulos, the briefing took place during “Orthodox Christian Week,” which is an official Act in the Province of Ontario (Bill 167) that proclaims: “The seven-day period in each year starting on Orthodox Easter Sunday is proclaimed as Orthodox Christian Week.”
The briefing was a bipartisan event with four MPPs representing the three major political parties in the province. Participants included (in alphabetical order):
MPP Aris Babikian
MPP Tom Rakocevic
MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos
MPP Jonathan Tsao
With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios, Archon Evagelos Sotiropoulos, President of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archons in Canada (EPAC), delivered the presentation and answered questions from the assembled parliamentarians.
The briefing focused on the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the First Throne of Orthodoxy; the historic ministry of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew; challenges facing the Patriarchate; its role as a global actor for peace; and, religious freedom and the persecution of Christians in the broader Middle East and Asia Minor. This was followed by a detailed discussion and questions from the MPPs.
This initiative aligns with the EPAC’s objective to raise awareness for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and His All-Holiness among the broader Canadian public and lawmakers across the country. A similar dedicated briefing is being scheduled on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Archon Sotiropoulos gifted each MPP a copy of his book, “Witnessing History: The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church,” in celebration of the Council’s 10-year anniversary; in addition, each parliamentarian received “Archon Educational Cards” developed by the American Order of St. Andrew, whom we thank for the ongoing collaboration.
Following the briefing, the MPPs and Archon Sotiropoulos attended the annual Orthodox Christian Week reception led by MPP Rakocevic, with the participation of many Orthodox Christians, including His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Patara, Rev. Fr. Innocent Chang, and students of the Patriarchal Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy.
The Archdiocese and the EPAC extend their appreciation to all the MPPs who made time for the briefing and especially to MPP Triantafilopoulos for her initiative to organize this successful meeting.
