Mitsotakis Meets Archbishop Elpidophoros of America: Bilateral Ties Strengthened

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Archbishop Elpidophoros of America at the Maximos Mansion on Tuesday afternoon, December 2, in a meeting described as warm and cordial. The encounter underscored the strong connections between the Greek government and the Greek Orthodox community in the United States.

The discussions, lasting approximately half an hour, were also attended by Ambassador Nikolaos Nikolaidis and Archimandrite Vasileios Drosos. During his visit, Archbishop Elpidophoros is expected to meet US Ambassador to Athens Kimberly Guilfoyle. Additionally, on Friday, December 5, he will receive an honorary doctorate from the Department of Administrative Science and Technology at the University of Patras.

Significance of the Mitsotakis-Elpidophoros Meeting

While the meeting may appear largely ceremonial, it formally marks the restoration of relations between Mitsotakis and Archbishop Elpidophoros following years of diplomatic distance. Relations between the Greek government and the Archbishop were particularly strained in 2021, after he attended the inauguration of the “House of Turkey” in Manhattan in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the then Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, even being photographed with them.

Reflecting on the incident in a recent interview, the Archbishop stated: “I believe this visit was used by specific circles not for its substance, but as a pretext to damage the image of the Archbishop and the Archdiocese of America. If there had been a real problem in substance, others would not have followed the same path later. The polemic was one-sided. I did not follow it. I did not respond with counter-attacks nor did I exploit opportunities to harm government officials.”

The dynamics shifted with the rise of Donald Trump to the US presidency. Archbishop Elpidophoros, who maintained open channels with the new administration, found himself in a position of strength vis-à-vis the Greek government, which faced challenges in accessing the Trump administration due to its alignment with the Democratic Party and the Biden administration. This position allowed the Archbishop to facilitate communication channels that the government had sought. On September 24, 2021, while Mitsotakis was in New York for the annual UN session, he made his first visit to the Archbishop of America, marking a turning point and the beginning of a renewed relationship.

Bridging the Gap with the Government

In the same interview, Archbishop Elpidophoros noted that the bridges with the Greek government were further solidified when he was asked to assist in arranging a visit by Mitsotakis to the White House. He emphasized the institutional nature of his role, saying, “It’s not right to go into such details, but even if it was requested, it’s not bad. I would do my duty. I don’t do favors for anyone; this is my institutional role: to serve Greece and our national interests.”

His position within the US was notably strengthened during the Trump administration, while a recent New York Times report highlighted the Archbishop’s work and the impressive participation of the faithful in Greek Orthodox parishes across America.