Archbishop Elpidophoros condemns slander against US bishops who defend UOC

Head of the Greek Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Elpidophoros. Photo: Kostas Beis/National Herald

The head of the Greek Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Elpidophoros, published an address in which he outlined his position regarding the meeting of Orthodox Christians with US lawmakers in Washington.

"The meeting was dedicated to issues of religious freedom and persecution in Ukraine, but it sparked a wave of rumors about the allegedly changed position of the Archdiocese towards other Orthodox Churches," wrote Archbishop Elpidophoros.

The head of the Greek Archdiocese stated that he does not consider and will never consider Orthodox hierarchs or their representatives as "agents of foreign governments". He highlighted that just two weeks ago at the Assembly of Bishops of the USA, all hierarchs worked together for the unity of the Church in the country.

According to the bishop, any attempts to involve the Church in political conflicts endanger both the Church itself and its believers.

The hierarch also recalled the joint statement of the Assembly of Bishops of September 15, 2024, regarding the Ukrainian law No. 3894. The document states that this law should not become a tool for persecuting religious communities in Ukraine, as it threatens the religious freedom of millions of people.

"Our position as Hierarchs remains the same," he emphasized, noting that national interests often overshadow spiritual vision and historical perspective, and Orthodox Christianity has repeatedly suffered from nationalism.

In conclusion of his address, Elpidophoros urged Orthodox believers to remember that Christians are called to be "in the world, but not of the world", maintaining peace, restraint, and respect for each other. He emphasized that in the context of increasing social divisions, it is especially important not to provoke new conflicts but to strive for healing wounds.

The American edition of the UOJ noted that the Archdiocese had previously published an article about this statement and created graphic materials with full quotes for more accurate presentation. They write that after numerous protests, the content was removed from social networks and the Orthodox Observer website.

It is evident that this is related to Archbishop Elpidophoros's statement.

As the UOJ wrote, the Orthodox community in the USA, defending the UOC, called the archons to account.

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