The timing of Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos’ trip to Athens alone is an indication of the framework of the visit and the importance of the meetings held and the messages conveyed. The continuing conflict in the Middle East is forming a picture of prolonged uncertainty for the Christian communities with a centuries-long presence in the region. Protecting their presence there, safeguarding their rights and ensuring freedom of access to their holy sites were at the center of the Greek Orthodox patriarch’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on June 4, just two days before the patriarch’s arrival in Athens.
In these challenging times, the message conveyed by the Greek government is that it is actively supporting the Jerusalem Patriarchate and raising awareness of the challenge of maintaining the Christian presence in the region, as well as of safeguarding the status quo in such a volatile part of the world. The Greek government’s initiative to create new permanent positions for clerics at the Primeval Patriarchates is a concrete expression of this support.
At the same time, Athens also conveyed a message of maintaining the balance across the Orthodox world.
Patriarch Theophilos spoke to Kathimerini about the challenges the Patriarchate is navigating through an ongoing process of trying to strike a balance “in a region of major cultural and geopolitical fault lines,” with the overarching goal being to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the Greek Orthodox presence.
