On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens met with Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.
The Archbishop welcomed the Prince, expressing his joy at his presence in Greece and at the Holy Archdiocese of Athens. He emphasized the importance of such meetings during turbulent times, when communication and cooperation are of even greater value.
In turn, the Prince of Jordan thanked the Archbishop for his hospitality, noting that he had experienced it many times during his visits to Greece. He referenced his experiences with the Orthodox Church since the 1950s, including his visits to Jerusalem and his meetings with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Phanar.
“At that time, we sought to highlight the common elements without exaggeration. Back then, we spoke of the Old Testament, written in Hebrew; the New Testament, written in Greek; and the Qur’an, written in Arabic.”
Today, however, occupying forces are on the verge of invading Ramallah, and the Jordanian field hospital has been forced to relocate due to constant fire and successive bombardments,” the Prince stated, stressing that “our position has been, is, and will remain in favor of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination—to decide their own future.”
He also referred to the four main pillars of the recent conference on Christians in the East. He emphasized that the first pillar concerns the aspirations for unity of Christians in the Arab East. The second pillar relates to diversity and the need to protect differences as rights while rejecting practices of marginalization.
He continued by noting that the third pillar highlights and projects the patriotic stances of Arab Christians and their active role in Eastern societies as an integral part of the social fabric. Finally, he emphasized that the real question is not only about the future of Arab Christians but also about the shared future of all Arabs and their common path. He argued that such questions can only be addressed by strengthening interfaith dialogue and establishing sustainable peace in the East.
The Archbishop, for his part, referred to the “demons” that manipulate and distort events to suit their own agenda. He mentioned that the church’s initial attempt to deliver aid, carried out in his absence, never reached its intended destination. When a second mission was planned, he assumed leadership, and they took a different route through the southern region, finally reaching Damascus.
There, they delivered the aid but were unable to proceed further into the earthquake-stricken areas. Additionally, he mentioned that they had the opportunity to hold a religious gathering in the church, which all the faithful participated in, regardless of origin or religion. With flags raised, crowds filled the church and the surrounding area, and a moving service was celebrated.
The Prince then expressed his sorrow for the two Metropolitans who were abducted in Syria in April 2013. He reiterated his belief in the unity of peoples over the unity of states. He noted that Greek youth have impressed him with their support for Palestine and invited the Archbishop to visit and celebrate the liturgy in Amman.
Photos: Christos Bonis
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
