On the afternoon of Wednesday, 4 June 2025, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, accompanied by Fathers of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood, received the President of the SYRIZA party, Sokratis Famellos, along with a delegation of his associates and the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem, Dimitrios Angelosopoulos.
Famellos expressed his joy and gratitude for the visit, which was his second to the Patriarchate since 2016, when he first visited.
In response, Patriarch Theophilos stated that at that time, the then-President of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras, made a significant contribution to the renovation of the Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre and was present at the ceremony marking the completion of this project, during which high-ranking representatives from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Greece were also in attendance at the Holy Sepulchre.
Patriarch Theophilos also explained to Famellos the pastoral, peace-making, reconciliatory and educational mission of the Patriarchate in Israel, the occupied territories, and Gaza—particularly at the Holy Monastery of Saint Porphyrios, where outstanding Christian pastoral and humanitarian work is being carried out under the care of the representative of the Patriarchate, Archbishop Alexios of Tiberias, and his assistant, Father Silas.
Famellos stated that he intends to propose to the Hellenic Parliament that a cross-party Committee visit the Gaza region to advance a proposal for a ceasefire and the establishment of a truce, as well as to offer humanitarian aid to that region.
Famellos also referred to the issue that has arisen concerning the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai, and expressed his intention to likewise propose in Parliament the formation of a cross-party delegation to visit the Monastery, to safeguard its ownership and pilgrimage status. His Beatitude stated that the Patriarchate has already stated the matter, as the Holy Monastery of Sinai falls under its jurisdiction, according to the decisions of the Holy Synods.
On the occasion of the visit, Famellos offered His Beatitude a silver platter, while Patriarch Theophilos in return presented him with a silver engraving of Jerusalem and an icon of the Theotokos.
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
