Meeting between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Bartholomew I: The Greek state always stands by the Patriarchate

“I americium truthful pleased, Your All-Holiness, to invited you erstwhile again. I was telling you connected the steps that the time began cloudy, but with your accomplishment a agleam prima came retired — symbolic, I believe, of the optimism that you ever bring during these troubled and hard times,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, addressing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during their gathering astatine the Maximos Mansion.

“I apologize for not being capable to be your speech. I was successful the United Arab Emirates and past successful Jordan, but I wanted erstwhile again to convey however overmuch joyousness and spot your visits ever springiness us.

You volition implicit 35 years connected the Patriarchal Throne this coming November. I privation you galore much years, and of people we volition person the accidental to sermon the broader developments successful our region, the large involvement that some you and we amusement successful protecting Orthodox Christians successful the Middle East during this play of large unrest, arsenic good arsenic the affirmative quality you bring america regarding the reopening of the Halki Theological School — an important determination which I cognize has been a long-standing aspiration of yours. And I privation you to cognize that the Greek authorities ever stands by the Patriarchate and by you personally, to enactment you successful each mode truthful that you whitethorn proceed your God-pleasing work,” the Prime Minister added.

“We admit this and are grateful for it. Mr. Prime Minister, I bring you the blessing of the Mother Church and the greetings of the tiny Greek assemblage of Constantinople,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said successful response.

“This has been a week afloat of blessed events present successful Athens. Tomorrow greeting we instrumentality to Constantinople. All my meetings were blessed and palmy due to the fact that they took spot successful an ambiance of communal emotion and esteem. I besides bring you the wishes of our Patriarchate, and my idiosyncratic wishes, for the implicit betterment of Mrs. Mareva,” Bartholomew continued.

“She besides sends you her love. She would precise overmuch person liked to beryllium here,” replied the Prime Minister, aft which the Ecumenical Patriarch continued:

“We followed her wellness ordeal intimately and lit a candle astatine the Patriarchate for her recovery, due to the fact that she is beloved to us, gracious, and ever benignant toward us.

You spoke astir the Christians of the Middle East. Just a fewer days ago, I had astatine the Patriarchate His Beatitude the Patriarch of Antioch, who described to us, truthful to speak, the existent concern of the fewer remaining Christians. Unfortunately, implicit clip the fig of Christians determination continues to decline, and they look problems some successful Syria and successful Lebanon, wherever His Beatitude’s jurisdiction extends. Regarding inter-Orthodox cooperation, determination is simply a afloat willingness and bully volition to instrumentality to the affirmative tone of the past, due to the fact that assorted unfortunate events intervened. We volition proceed this effort with the different sister Churches arsenic well. Next period we volition question to Imbros unneurotic with the Patriarchs of Romania and Bulgaria, and it volition beryllium an accidental to fortify our relations and sermon our communal problems.”