Brooklyn, New York, June 4, 2020
goarch.org
Archbishop Elpidophoros, the head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, attended a peaceful protest and march in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, yesterday, June 3, in memory of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT who was killed when police mistakenly raided her home in March, reports the archdiocesan press service.
The Archbishop was invited to the march by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Leroy Adam and State Senator Andrew Gounardes, despite Governor Cuomo’s executive order limiting gatherings to 10 people or less.
Adams commented on Abp. Elpidphoros’ presence: “I am so happy and proud to be marching with the Archbishop. It’s important that he has taken the time to acknowledge how significant this issue is.”
Senator Gounardes commented: “I’m incredibly proud to march alongside His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and our Brooklyn Borough President in the pursuit of greater justice for those who are no longer here to speak for themselves.”
And following the march, the Archbishop himself emphasized:
I came here to Brooklyn today in order to stand in solidarity with my fellow sisters and brothers whose rights have been sorely abused. This was a peaceful protest, one without violence of any kind, and I thank all of those involved, because violence begets only more violence. We must speak and speak loudly against the injustice in our country. It is our moral duty and obligation to uphold the sanctity of every human being. We have faced a pandemic of grave physical illness, but the spiritual illness in our land runs even deeper and must be healed by actions as well as words. And so, I will continue to stand in the breach together with all those who are committed to preserving peace, justice, and equality for every citizen of goodwill, regardless of their race, religion, gender or ethnic origin.
The Archbishop’s participation has drawn mixed reactions from the Orthodox faithful. Some praised his effort, comparing him to Archbishop Iakovos, who famously marched alongside Martin Luther King, Jr.:
Thank You so much for following in Archbishop Iakovos of Blessed Memory’s footsteps and marching in the peaceful protests
— Markela Hatzakis (@menolly198) June 3, 2020
Others simply thanked him, or cried, “Axios!” (“Worthy!”):
Thank you, Your Eminence!
— Val Lott (@vallott73) June 4, 2020
Άξιος !!
— Niki (@PantaMeTinNiki) June 4, 2020
On the other hand, others pointed out that church attendance remains strictly limited while the Archbishop participated in such a large-scale event:
Thank You so much for following in Archbishop Iakovos of Blessed Memory’s footsteps and marching in the peaceful protests
— Markela Hatzakis (@menolly198) June 3, 2020
You forced our Churches to close during Pascha and Holy Week but gladly march with neomarxists that have sewn division and destroyed lives across the US?
We must pray for you, and love you, but how can you justify getting rid of the common spoon and then march like this?
— Hope Eastwood (@eastwood_hope) June 4, 2020
There’s a quarantine order in effect for the city - gatherings of any size are not allowed. This is what people have lost their jobs and their right to worship for...
— Prognosticator (@Prognosis1987) June 4, 2020
