Konstantinos Tasoulas welcomed His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and his delegation to the Presidential Palace, praising the Patriarch’s decades of spiritual leadership and contribution to Orthodoxy and global dialogue.
During the meeting, Tasoulas highlighted the Ecumenical Patriarch’s “invaluable contribution” over 35 years of Patriarchal Ministry and 65 years of priestly service, describing him as “the spiritual leader of millions of Orthodox Christians throughout the world.”
The Greek President also commended Bartholomew’s recent address to the Greek Parliament, particularly his emphasis on “human dignity, ecophilia and the need for peace”, saying it demonstrated “how useful the contribution of Orthodoxy and religion in general can be to global reconciliation.”
Tasoulas praised the Patriarch’s efforts in defending interreligious dialogue and the unity of Orthodoxy, referencing his statement that “if there is no peace among religions, there cannot be peace among the world”.
Addressing the Patriarch directly, Tasoulas said: “Your Holiness, Your State exists in the heavens, as you said. However, your testimony exists and conquers the world.”
In response, Patriarch Bartholomew thanked the President for his warm welcome and support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, saying the Greek leader’s words provided “strength and encouragement, for the humble ministry we have been doing from the martyred Lantern, all these years.”
The Patriarch reaffirmed the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s commitment to “a testimony of love, unity, reconciliation, respect for the sanctity of the human person”, stressing that every person is “unique and irreplaceable, because he was created in the image and likeness of God.”
He also condemned racism and discrimination, saying they are “far from the ethos of Orthodoxy,” while emphasising that the Ecumenical Patriarchate serves Orthodox Christians of many different national and cultural backgrounds.
Bartholomew also warned of growing divisions within Orthodoxy, stating that “the curse of ethno-phyleticism has also penetrated the body of the Orthodox Church and is haunting today’s Orthodoxy.”
He added that the Ecumenical Patriarchate would continue its work “always with the support of the honorable Greek State,” while expressing gratitude for Greece’s continued backing of its Ecumenical mission.
The meeting concluded with the Patriarch offering prayers for the wellbeing of Greece, its leadership and its people, wishing the country “prosperity, unity and peace. Amen!”
