Patriarch Bartholomew speaks to Macron about Orthodoxy in Ukraine

Patriarch Bartholomew foresaw violence against the UOC. Photo: Thestival

On April 22, an official meeting was held at the Élysée Palace between French President Emmanuel Macron and a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate led by Patriarch Bartholomew, according to the outlet fosfanariou.gr.

President Macron reportedly expressed special interest in discussing with the Ecumenical Patriarch the developments within the Orthodox Church amid ongoing armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Macron praised the Patriarch for his unequivocal condemnation of war and for the example he has set as a leading religious figure.

Patriarch Bartholomew offered the French President his blessing for the successful organization and hosting of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris next summer. He also expressed hope that the ancient Olympic principle of a truce would prevail during this historic event.

The Phanar delegation included Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Metropolitan Dimitrios of France, Metropolitan Andreas of Saranta Ekklisies, and Archimandrite Aetios, Director of the Patriarch’s Personal Office.

As previously reported by the UOJ, a court in La Flotte, France, ruled to demolish a statue of the Virgin Mary, stating that the religious display violated the principle of church–state separation.

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