Source: The National Herald
By Theodore Kalmoukos
BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be absent from the major Conference, with the theme ‘Protection of Religious Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights’ organized by Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate that will take place May 26 to 29, 2024. The Order Saint Andrew of the United are the lead organizers under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Limberakis, Megas Aktouarios and National Commander in the U.S., and the Very Reverend Alexander Karloutsos, the Order’s Spiritual Advisor.
Participating are the orders of the Archons of Greece, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Dr. Limberakis is president of the organizing committee and the vice president is the shipowner and grand benefactor and former governor of Mount Athos, Archon Exarchos Athanasios Martinos of the Order of Europe ‘Panagia the Pammakaristos (The All-Blessed Virgin Mary).
According to information received by The National Herald from the orders of Archons, as well as from within the Phanar, Patriarch Bartholomew seems to be showing ‘disdain’ for the the Archons by not attending the event in Athens, given that he goes to Greece very frequently and was in Athens a few days ago.
Bartholomew is said to want to give precedence to his spiritual son, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who will preside over the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, as well as the work, events, and dinners of the Conference. He will thus be entering into direct conflict with the Greek government, despite its having officially conveyed its dissatisfaction and concern over events at the Archdiocese, the School of Theology in Boston, and the Greek-American Community in general through three of its ministers who had been dispatched to the Phanar and spoke to Patriarch Bartolomew.
The Patriarch will delegate Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon to represent him at the Congress, while he will also assign some metropolitans from Europe, as well as the director of the Patriarchal Office in Athens, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, to attend as fill-ins.
Among those invited to speak at the Conference are former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Despina Hatzivasisiliou-Tsonilis, Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius Gintaras Grusas, President of the Council of European Bishop’s Conferences known as CCEE.
The National Herald extensively covered an earlier visit of the Archons in January 2023 when Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warmly welcomed the delegation of Archons led by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Dr. Limberakis, Judge Theodore Bozonelis, Vice Commander of the Order, Fr. Karloutsos, Archon John Mindala, and their companions Eleni Bozonelis and Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos.
Dr. Limberakis at that time briefed the Prime Minister in detail on the actions and efforts of the Order of St. Andrew for the promotion and protection of the rights and privileges of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its smooth operation, as well as the initiatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The delegation of the Archons also had meetings with the then-Minister of Education and Religion Niki Kerameus, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, the then-Political Governor of Mount Athos Athanasios Martinos, the then-Minister of Citizen Protection Takis Theodorikakos, the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, the then-Minister of National Defense Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, the Rector of the University of Athens Athanasios-Meletios Dimopoulos, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders, while the Archons also hosted a dinner in honor of the then-Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis.