The President of SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance, Sokratis Famellos, met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Thessaloniki.
During the meeting, Mr. Famellos expressed the long-standing support of SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as his appreciation for its work in promoting Orthodox unity as the Mother Church, advancing interreligious dialogue, defending human rights, and addressing environmental issues.
The discussion focused on global peace and security, ongoing armed conflicts, the weakening of international law, the persecution of Christian communities in the Middle East, and the climate crisis. Particular emphasis was placed on the role and position of Orthodoxy within today’s challenging international environment.
Mr. Famellos also voiced his support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and for Patriarch Bartholomew personally, especially in light of recent attacks and attempts to question the role of the Patriarchate by Russian state services.
The meeting further addressed the messages of peace and brotherhood conveyed by the Ecumenical Patriarch and Pope Leo XIV during their recent encounter. Mr. Famellos was briefed on current issues concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as on the broader initiatives undertaken by Patriarch Bartholomew.
In this context, the Ecumenical Patriarch extended an invitation to Mr. Famellos for an official visit to the Phanar.
As a symbolic gesture, Mr. Famellos presented the Ecumenical Patriarch with a faithful replica of a golden wreath, an example of Hellenistic goldsmithing, primarily found in royal tombs in Macedonia.
In return, Patriarch Bartholomew offered Mr. Famellos a painting and a commemorative medal marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, as a memento of the historic anniversary.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
