GOA stands with State Department against Russian Church, archbishop tells Ukrainian ambassador

Washington, D.C., January 24, 2022

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Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Greek Archdiocese stand together with the U.S. State Department against the Russian Orthodox Church, which he and the State Department consider but a tool of the Russian state.

On the same day that he offered controversial remarks at the March for Life, Abp. Elpidophoros, the head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, also visited Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S.

The Archbishop, a Turkish citizen who described his election to the post of Archbishop as “a great opportunity for Turkey,” took the opportunity to condemn the Russian state and the Moscow Patriarchate, which, according to him, “obediently follows the Kremlin’s commands.”

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese’s report quotes the Archbishop:

I visited the Embassy of Ukraine to express to Ambassador Oksana Markarova our support, as Christians, as Greeks, and as Americans, for the people of Ukraine, who are suffering from a Russian imperialism that is manifesting itself at every level: military, economy, energy resources, and the Church as well.

It is an injustice to the history and tradition of Orthodoxy, that instead of supporting the sisters and brothers of Ukraine, the Moscow Patriarchate obediently follows the Kremlin’s commands and toes its line, dividing Orthodoxy world over and scandalizing the People of God from Ukraine to Africa, and even as far away as Korea.

We welcome the US government’s stance and the recent statement by a State Department spokesman condemning the Kremlin’s “malign efforts to instrumentalize Orthodox identity.”

Earlier this month, a State Department representative stated: “Russia is engaged in covert and overt malign efforts to instrumentalize Orthodox identity to advance its own geopolitical interests, supporting some Orthodox churches and their leaders while undermining others.”

Interestingly, in the view of one Greek hierarch of the Church of Cyprus, it is Constantinople that is weaponized against the Russian Church.

“The Moscow Patriarchate is largely victimized today, since Westerners believe that President Putin is using his Orthodox faith, through the Moscow Patriarchate, to rival them in Orthodox countries. It is, then, and also today, a purely political issue of the West’s basic geostrategic objectives, in the face of a Russia that is antagonistic to them,” His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos said in an interview in last February.

He continued:

Regardless of how the Phanar handles this situation from an ecclesiastical point of view, the West, according to its recent statements, is heavily invested in strengthening and imposing the primacy of the Ecumenical Patriarch on all Local Churches. Russia’s rivals, having good relations with the Phanar, seek to achieve their political goals on a global scale. To do this, they advance the Western concept of the existence of one spiritual leader for all Christians in the West, and, accordingly, one in the East.

Furthermore, both state and church figures have admitted that the Patriarchate of Constantinople worked together with the U.S. to attack the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church because of its connection with the Russian Church and to create the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”

“Metropolitan” Makary Maletich, the head of the former “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church,” which joined Constantinople’s OCU in December 2018, has spoken publicly several times about the role of Western governments in the creation of the OCU.

In December 2018, he said that the provision of autocephaly to the OCU by Constantinople was possible because of the work of foreign diplomats, including U.S. ambassadors and others.

He addressed the issue again the following June, stating: “It’s not only the merit of Poroshenko, but also the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainians themselves, and the diplomats of the U.S.A., Great Britain, France, and Germany, who were interested in the church.”

Maletich is certain “that if the Ecumenical Patriarch had not seen the support in the leading states of the world, he wouldn’t have done this. Then neither Poroshenko, nor the Rada, nor Philaret, nor I would have done anything.”

Last January, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted about the U.S.’s work in getting Orthodox Churches to recognize the schismatics.

In May, Valeriy Chaly, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. from 2015 to 2019, said the U.S. can consider the creation of the OCU its own achievement. He stated on air:

For the American side—by the way, this might not be known in the President’s Office—the key foreign policy topic has been freedom of religion recently. And the issue of an autonomous Church was promoted by Ukraine with the support of our partners.

The United States did—I can say this now—a great deal to make this issue a reality for Ukraine. This is a huge achievement that they consider their own as well. Maybe it’s exaggerated, but there are such sentiments.

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1/24/2022

See also
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In his prayer, the Archbishop prayed that God would shine His light upon Biden to serve well as president, and that we might be inspired to “fight against injustice, inequality, and hatred.”
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The State Department has openly stated its support for the Ukrainian autocephaly movement several times. Pompeo also released a supporting message in October, and Robert Palladino, the Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, published a congratulatory message following December 15’s “unification council.” In late December, Pompeo personally called “Metropolitan” Epiphany to congratulate him and discuss avenues of cooperation.
Comments
George Costalas2/25/2023 8:52 am
As a Greek Orthodox Christian, I am disappointed, disgusted and angry. It’s one thing for a lay person to be a heretic but a clergyman, especially one with his education and experience. Clearly, he knows exactly what he is doing and he is doing it fully aware of its effect and consequences on the faithful and the church. Before he passed Osios Ephraim repeatedly reminded us that we were to be aware of the wolves that would enter and attack the church. Clearly, obviously, the wolves are Bart, Elpi and the others of their Patriarchal Sacrilegious Boys Club… This isn’t the first time that the church has been attacked by Judas who serve their own lusts and ego (and thereby Satan implicitly if not explicitly…although I would argue explicitly). As our Holy Fathers and Mothers who handed down to us the Faith, fought for the Church, so we must do now. We are blessed to be given the grace and opportunity to fight for and defend our Church against these rabid dogs.
Theodoros 1/26/2022 9:55 pm
Archbishop Elpidophoros has a lot of nerve in calling the Russian Church an arm of the Kremlin. This is a man who serves Turkish and American interests. His presence at the Turkish mission a few months ago proves this. In order to be Patriarch he will need to be a Turkish citizen and to maintain good ties with the Erdogan government. This makes his position as a Greek Orthodox Archbishop in America a major conflict of interest. In order to pursue his aspirations he has to depend on the goodwill of Turkey. The Turks have made Hagia Sophia into a Mosque and have destroyed five hundred Orthodox Churches and Monasteries in occupied Cyprus. Bartholomew and Elpidophoros are the real instruments of governments. The bishops of Greece and Cyprus who support these Turks will come to regret that they did not stand with the canonical Church in Ukraine.
John D1/26/2022 4:06 am
'Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Greek Archdiocese stand together with the U.S. State Department against the Russian Orthodox Church, which he and the State Department consider but a tool of the Russian state.' And Archbishop Elpidophoros, the Greek Archdiocese, and Pat. Bartholomew AREN'T "tools" for the U.S. State Department?! That's "the kettle calling the pot black" if I've ever heard it! What a "tool." God help us Orthodox. Johm D.
John1/25/2022 9:48 pm
“We welcome the US government’s stance and the recent statement by a State Department….” -Archbishop Elpidophoros With a quote like that, consider the weight of the meaning of his words in the context of articles right here at OrthoChristian: “HOW SCHISMATICS ARE BEING USED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE ORTHODOX CHURCH” “U.S.—LEADING ANTI-ORTHODOX CENTER—IS PLANNING TO OPENLY SPONSOR THE SCHISMATIC OCU, CANONICAL UKRAINIAN CLERGY SAY” “SECRETARY POMPEO AND UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS AGREE ON BILATERAL COOPERATION” “SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO TO MEET WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN UKRAINE”
David1/25/2022 3:41 am
"Stands with the State Department" almost sounds like "Whore of Babylon"...
Mikhail1/24/2022 5:37 pm
He claims that the Moscow Patriarchate is "dividing Orthodoxy world over and scandalizing the People of God." He literally just described the Ecumenical Patriarchate!! The schism that EP Bartholomew created in Ukraine has divided world Orthodoxy and scandalized the people of God. The Turkish AB continues to put his foot in his mouth.
Theodoros1/24/2022 5:29 pm
Bartholomew and Elpidophoros must be deposed and laicized. They have no business in the priesthood except as Uniates. They have destroyed Orthodox unity and led the Greek Churches into western captivity. The Archbishop’s anti Russian statements are contemptible. Not all Greeks share the attitudes of this Arrogant man.
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