NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America expressed his full support for the important and timeless work of Orthodoxy and Hellenism of the Greek Government in a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister for Hellenes Abroad Antonis Diamataris at the Archbishop’s office on September 20.
Diamataris, who was accompanied by Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Koutras, was warmly welcomed by Archbishop Elpidophoros at their first private meeting since the enthronement of His Eminence last June, but also since his appointment in the Foreign Ministry.
“I had the great pleasure of visiting His Eminence as a representative of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. As you know, my responsibilities as a Deputy Foreign Minister include the issue of Churches outside Greece. We discussed with him the serious problems he inherited, and I expressed the full support of Greece in his efforts,” said Diamataris.
“As I have said many times, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew could not have made a better choice for our Church in America than His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros,” Diamataris noted.
For his part, Archbishop Elpidophoros referred to his long-standing friendship with Diamataris, welcomed his appointment to the Greek government office and hoped that this first formal meeting would be the beginning of a series of working contacts in the near future.
“We have worked with Mr. Diamataris excellently – how could it be different – because our ideas, our visions, our plans for Hellenism and Orthodoxy are completely identical not only with his own views, but also with the views of the Greek government. I am happy that Mr. Mitsotakis assumed the leadership of the country because the whole Diaspora and the Church really look forward to his cooperation,” said the Archbishop.
“I am thrilled that Mr. Diamataris came here directly from Constantinople, because Constantinople is my home, but also the place where my spiritual father, our Ecumenical Patriarch, is worshiping and serving along with hierarchs there in Constantinople, to maintain the pillars of our Orthodox tradition in a country where that is difficult but with the flexibility and creativity of our Patriarch and the whole hierarchy of Constantinople, the Patriarchate not only survives but continues to play a key and successful role in the global forum,” Archbishop Elpidophoros concluded.
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