“We are heartbroken by the collapse of the apartment building on Flatbush Avenue. We pray for the souls of those who have died. May their memory be eternal. We ask God to heal the injured, and we pray with all our hearts that every one of our neighbors will be found and brought home to their families. Our parishes, especially those in Brooklyn, join us in this prayer.

The women and men of the FDNY, its EMS crews, the NYPD and every agency at the site have worked through the night and into the rain, searching for any sign of life. They are giving everything they have to people they have never met. We owe them gratitude, and we ask the Lord to keep them safe as their work goes on.”

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In his sacred responsibility as described in the Charter of our Sacred Archdiocese, and in his pastoral oversight and fatherly care, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros has approved the following ordinations: 

• Mr. Emmanuel Salem to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve at the Annunciation of the Theotokos Church in Akron, Ohio, in the Holy Metropolis of Pittsburgh. 

• Mr. Jesse Brandow to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve in the Holy Metropolis of Mexico, while remaining a clergyman under the canonical jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and continuing his missionary service through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in Guatemala and the surrounding region. 

• Mr. Troy Vinson Montanez to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve as a permanent deacon at the Annunciation of the Theotokos Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the Holy Metropolis of Denver. 

• Mr. George Damiris to the Holy Diaconate, whom he assigned to serve as a permanent deacon at the Holy Trinity Church in Wichita, Kansas, in the Holy Metropolis of Denver. 

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It is hard to imagine Orthodoxy in America without Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology—the only accredited Orthodox undergraduate, graduate school, and seminary in the United States. The two institutions have grown up like siblings over the past century with HCHC molding generations of clergy, pastoral assistants, youth workers, Sunday School teachers, parish leaders, and scholars serving the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and beyond.  

In the early decades of the 20th century, the United States welcomed more than 15 million immigrants largely from Southern and Eastern Europe—Armenians, Greeks, Romanians, Russians, Serbians and Ukrainians and more. An early success of the Greek and Russian immigrant communities was the establishment of seminaries that would provide indigenous clergy for emerging parishes, notably Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1937 and Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1938. 

The first home for Holy Cross was, from 1937 to 1948, in Pomfret, Connecticut. Unfortunately, Pomfret proved to be too remote of a location, so the school’s trustees purchased the Weld Estate, a scenic piece of land on a hill overlooking Boston which set in motion the school’s relocation to Brookline, Massachusetts in 1948. 

It would be another 30 years before Hellenic College came into being.  

Between 1948 and 1968, the Weld Estate was transformed with the mansion becoming the School’s administrative building while construction on other facilities were undertaken, including the Archbishop Cavadas dorm annex (1953), Cotsidas-Tonna Library (1960), Skouros Classroom Building (1960), Pappas Gymnasium (1960), Holy Cross Chapel (1963) and the three-story Polemanakos Dormitory, all done while educating a generation of dedicated clergy. 

As the Chair of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees, the recently enthroned Archbishop Iakovos spearheaded the idea to establish Hellenic College as early as 1959. The proposition received Board support and a resolution was presented to the 1960 Clergy-Laity Congress held in Buffalo, NY. By the mid-1960s, several prominent Greek Orthodox laymen joined in advocating for the establishment of an undergraduate college along with transforming Holy Cross into an accredited school of theology.  

Archbishop Iakovos understood that an institution of higher learning was a necessary component in gaining respectability within the American religious landscape and promoting the Church’s spiritual and intellectual inheritance.  

In 1968, a year described by many as one of the most turbulent years in American history, Hellenic College opened its doors and was led by scholarchis Fr. Leonidas C. Contos. The College adopted a four-year undergraduate curriculum, following the American curricular model that provided general and specialized education programs that culminated in the conferral of a Baccalaureate degree. 

After 30 years of leadership under several hierarchs and presbyters as president, the Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Thomas C. Lelon as the first lay president of the school in 1976. During his tenure, Holy Cross earned full accreditation in the United States and Canada along with Hellenic College receiving accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.  

During the 1970s and 80s, the campus experienced another period of expansion which included the construction of multiple facilities saw a spate of capital projects including the Maliotis Cultural Center with its 450-seat auditorium, exhibition halls, classrooms and offices; the Halki Seminarian Residence; Dendrinos Village for married student housing as well as new soccer fields and tennis courts. 

As the 20th century came to a close, Bishop Demetrios of Vresthena was enthroned as Archbishop and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in 1999. As such, he became Chairman of the HCHC Board of Trustees. Archbishop Demetrios was well-suited to lead the school, having studied and instructed at Harvard University and taught at HCHC for 10 years as a professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins. He was an effective advocate for the school at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Archdiocese, and beyond.  

In the summer of 2000, Fr. Nicholas C. Triantafilou was installed as president of HCHC after 23 fruitful years as Proistamenos of the Annunciation Cathedral in Houston, Texas. Fr. Triantafilou brought an understanding of the needs and expectations of priests and parishioners and did so with pastoral care and faith-centered leadership that uplifted the school community. Fr. Triantafilou’s 15-year term as president was marked by strategic planning, revised governance, capital improvements, and successful fundraising. 

The Scholi Today 

As we progress through the 2026-27 academic year, HCHC continues to be a growing, vibrant community and remains the only residential Orthodox Christian college in the U.S. While college enrollment is generally down across the country, religious institutions such as HCHC are bucking this trend. Our school welcomed 80 new students (46 at Hellenic College, 34 at Holy Cross) to campus this year. For the fourth consecutive year, HCHC is seeing its student population grow by more than 20 percent.  

May God continue to bless Hellenic College Holy Cross, all who pursue spiritual formation there, and all who make their education possible. And may God bless our Archdiocese, its parishes, and the faithful as well as the United States as it celebrates 250 years of freedom. 

This article is published as part of the America at 250: Orthodoxy in a New Homeland media initiative co-organized by the Orthodox Observer and the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to honor the contributions and experience of Orthodox Christianity in America and celebrate 250th anniversary of America’s founding.

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has exposed a profound crisis in Orthodox Christian theology: the relationship between the Church, the state, and the moral responsibilities of Christian leadership in times of war. Although Orthodox history includes different models of cooperation between ecclesiastical and political authorities, the Church’s relationship with the state cannot be reduced to unconditional support for political power. The war in Ukraine raises a particularly urgent question: what happens when religious language and ecclesiastical authority are used to legitimize a state’s military ambitions?

The position adopted by the Moscow Patriarchate under Patriarch Kirill makes this question especially significant. Its response to the war must be considered alongside its rejection of Ukrainian ecclesiastical independence and its broader understanding of Russian civilization, historical identity, and the Church’s relationship with the state.

Ukrainian Autocephaly and the Crisis of Ecclesiastical Unity

In January 2019, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople granted a Tomos of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), establishing its status as an independent, self-governing local Orthodox Church.¹ The decision followed a long-standing dispute over ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Moscow Patriarchate rejected Constantinople’s actions, maintaining that Ukraine belonged to its canonical territory. In October 2018, before the Tomos was issued, the Russian Orthodox Church announced its decision to break Eucharistic communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.²

The canonical dispute is complex, and the competing ecclesiological arguments should not be confused with a direct explanation of the subsequent invasion. Nevertheless, the rejection of Ukrainian autocephaly has become part of a wider struggle over Ukraine’s historical and cultural identity. From the perspective of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Ukrainian question concerns not only jurisdiction but also the right of a local Church to exercise ecclesiastical self-government. In the Moscow Patriarchate’s interpretation, by contrast, the assertion of Ukrainian ecclesiastical independence challenges its understanding of the historical unity of the Orthodox world associated with Russia.

This conflict becomes especially consequential when ecclesiastical jurisdiction is linked to geopolitical claims. The Church’s spiritual and canonical boundaries risk becoming instruments for asserting the political unity of territories whose populations have their own national identities and aspirations.

Religious Language and the Legitimation of War

The relationship between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian state has become increasingly visible in the religious language used to interpret the war. In public discourse, Patriarch Kirill has situated the conflict within a broader narrative concerning Russia’s historical mission, moral identity, and spiritual confrontation with the contemporary West. Such language does more than express political preferences: it can place political conflict within a framework of religious meaning, making opposition to state policy appear to be opposition to a sacred historical community.

In a March 2023 address on the response of Churches and religious communities to war and conflict, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew explicitly criticized the instrumentalization of religion for geopolitical purposes. He identified the ideology of Russkiy Mir (“Russian World”) as a principal instrument for the “spiritual” legitimation of the invasion of Ukraine.³ His criticism identifies a fundamental theological problem: the transformation of a particular national and geopolitical project into an allegedly sacred mission.

Academic research supports a careful version of this argument. Vebjørn L. Horsfjord’s study of Patriarch Kirill’s sermons and speeches during the first year of the full-scale war finds that explicit expressions of support for the war were relatively rare, while the historical narratives employed in his discourse helped construct a worldview in which the conflict could be understood as necessary or legitimate.⁴ A separate study by Marcin Składanowski, Andrzej Szabaciuk, and Agnieszka Łukasik-Turecka examines the role of Patriarch Kirill’s discourse in Russian propaganda and disinformation, arguing that the Moscow Patriarchate became an important part of the broader system through which the Russian state presented and justified its aggression.⁵

These findings suggest that ecclesiastical legitimation does not depend exclusively on direct endorsements of military action. It may also operate through historical narratives, moral binaries, selective interpretations of identity, and claims that a nation is engaged in a civilizational or spiritual struggle.

The Ecclesial Feedback Loop of War Propaganda

To understand the relationship between ecclesiastical discourse and political power in this case, I propose the concept of an “ecclesial feedback loop of war propaganda.” This concept describes a mutually reinforcing relationship among three processes.

First, the rejection of Ukrainian autocephaly weakens the ecclesiastical recognition of a distinct Ukrainian religious identity within the framework defended by Moscow. Second, the ideology of Russkiy Mir and related appeals to Holy Rus situate Russian statehood within a larger historical and spiritual community, potentially blurring the distinction between Russian national interests and the universal mission of Orthodoxy. Third, religious interpretations of the war can provide moral and spiritual legitimacy to the state’s actions, presenting the conflict as part of a struggle over civilizational values rather than simply an act of military aggression.

The relationship is a feedback loop because each element can reinforce the others. The denial of Ukrainian ecclesiastical independence supports a narrative of historical unity; that narrative can be mobilized to frame Russian political claims as guardianship of a shared spiritual inheritance; and religious legitimation of the war, in turn, can reinforce the rejection of Ukrainian independence as a threat to that inheritance.

This analytical framework does not mean that the canonical dispute alone caused the invasion, nor does it imply that all Russian Orthodox clergy or faithful endorse the war. It identifies instead a mechanism through which ecclesiastical claims and political narratives can mutually reinforce one another. The Church’s institutional authority becomes especially vulnerable when its language of unity is used to diminish the agency of another people or to justify violence against them.

Recovering the Prophetic Freedom of the Church

The crisis in Ukraine invites a broader reconsideration of the Orthodox understanding of symphonia, the ideal of cooperation between Church and state. Historically, the concept has been interpreted in different ways, and it should not be reduced to a simple formula of ecclesiastical submission to political authority. The Church may cooperate with civil authorities for the common good, but such cooperation cannot eliminate its responsibility to speak critically when state power violates human dignity, justice, and peace.

Orthodox ecclesiology, with its emphasis on communion and the Church’s universal character, offers resources for resisting the identification of the Church with any single national or geopolitical project. The Church’s mission transcends state borders. Its unity cannot legitimately be invoked to erase the ecclesiastical agency of other peoples, and its spiritual authority cannot be made conditional upon loyalty to a government.

The war in Ukraine therefore presents Orthodoxy with a test of theological integrity. The challenge is not simply to resolve a jurisdictional dispute or to restore institutional relations. It is to recover the distinction between the Gospel and political ideology, between Christian solidarity and national domination, and between pastoral leadership and the sacralization of state ambitions. Where religious authority becomes a vehicle for war propaganda, the Church risks compromising the very universal mission it is called to serve.

Rev. Dr. Vassilios Bebis is the Parish Priest of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an Affiliate of Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Notes:

1 Ecumenical Patriarchate, “Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos for the Bestowal of the Ecclesiastical Status of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” January 6, 2019, https://ec-patr.org/en/06/01/15/32/patriarchal-and-synodal-tomos-for-the-bestowal-of-the-ecclesiastical-status-of-autocephaly-to-the-orthodox-church-in-ukraine/

2 Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, “Statement by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church concerning the encroachment of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the canonical territory of the Russian Church,” October 15, 2018, https://old.mospat.ru/en/2018/10/15/news165263/

3 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, “Address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Seminar ‘Reaction of Churches and Religious Communities to War and Conflict’ (Lithuania, March 22, 2023),” March 22, 2023, https://ec-patr.org/22/03/17/49/address-by-his-all-holiness-ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew-at-the-seminar-reaction-of-churches-and-religious-communities-to-war-and-conflict-lit/

4 Vebjørn L. Horsfjord, “Patriarch and Patriot: History in Patriarch Kirill’s Sermons in the First Year of the Full-Scale War in Ukraine,” Religion, State & Society 52, no. 4 (2024): 367–82, https://doi.org/10.1080/09637494.2024.2353417

5 Marcin Składanowski, Andrzej Szabaciuk, and Agnieszka Łukasik-Turecka, “Church of War: Propaganda and Disinformation in Patriarch Kirill’s Discourse on Russia’s Aggression,” Cogent Arts & Humanities 12, no. 1 (2025), article 2515329, https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2025.2515329

6 John Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes, 2nd ed. (New York: Fordham University Press, 1983)*7 John D. Zizioulas, Being as Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1985).

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NEW YORK — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America praised Greece’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations for securing a Security Council resolution strengthening protections for children affected by armed conflict, saying the achievement held particular significance for him as a hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Visiting Ambassador Aglaia Balta, Greece’s permanent representative, at the mission’s offices, His Eminence congratulated her and the delegation on their great work during Greece’s Security Council tenure. Archbishop Elpidophoros praised Ambassador Balta on the successful passage of Resolution 2832. Drafted by Greece and adopted unanimously on Oct. 19, it addresses abuses against children in armed conflict that are enabled or intensified by digital technologies, including recruitment and exploitation.

The resolution calls for stronger safeguards and accountability, while encouraging the safe use of technology to support education and child protection. Balta said Greece intended to continue its initiatives on children and maritime security beyond its Council term, with a workshop on children planned for early 2027.

The discussion turned to Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and the prospects for ending the war. Archbishop Elpidophoros also expressed concern over intensifying Russian attacks on the Ecumenical Patriarchate, describing efforts by Russian state and affiliated actors to undermine the institution.

On Cyprus, Archbishop Elpidophoros stressed the importance of keeping the issue on the U.N. agenda until a just and viable settlement is achieved. Also discussed was the United Nations’ potential role in establishing an international framework for artificial intelligence. The Archbishop said a U.N. body could help bring countries and other key participants worldwide into the development of shared rules and safeguards. Balta emphasized the need for U.N. leadership with the political foresight to address such emerging challenges.

> Read: Balta’s resolution for the safeguarding of children affected by armed conflict

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His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America welcomed Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, on Nov. 9 during the Chief Rabbi’s visit to New York.

The meeting marked the first encounter between the two religious leaders and focused on the vital role faith communities play in strengthening social bonds, rebuilding community life, and fostering meaningful human relationships in a post-pandemic world.

A respected voice in interfaith engagement, Chief Rabbi Mirvis, who had requested the meeting, has long championed dialogue and cooperation among religious communities in the United Kingdom and internationally. During their discussion, Archbishop Elpidophoros reiterated his unwavering support for the Jewish community in confronting antisemitism and combating hatred in all its forms. Chief Rabbi Mirvis, in turn, expressed solidarity with Christians worldwide who continue to face persecution and hardship because of their faith.

Both leaders emphasized the need to reinvigorate interfaith relations and explore new opportunities for collaboration amid today’s social and cultural challenges. Chief Rabbi Mirvis shared insights from his work on the Muslim-Jewish Reconciliation Accords, known as the Drumlanrig Accords, a landmark initiative signed in February 2025 and later presented to His Majesty King Charles III as a model for constructive engagement and mutual understanding.

The Chief Rabbi also reflected on his recent meeting with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during the Ecumenical Patriarch’s Apostolic Visit to Great Britain in September, noting the importance of continued cooperation among faith leaders in addressing issues of common concern.

At the conclusion of the visit, Archbishop Elpidophoros presented Chief Rabbi Mirvis with a silver-embossed icon of the Hospitality of Abraham, depicting Abraham and Sarah welcoming the three angelic visitors. The gift served as a reminder of the spiritual values of hospitality, encounter, and fellowship that continue to inspire dialogue and friendship between religious communities.

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More than 250 participants gathered Nov. 6-7 for a two-day educational conference on the social ethos of the Orthodox Church. The event, titled “For the Life of the World,” took place at the St. Gregory Palamas Educational and Cultural Foundation of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki.

Attendees included 40 priests, 110 parish catechists, 75 schoolteachers and 25 theology students. The conference centered on the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s document For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church. Organizers sought to explore how its theological principles and pastoral vision can inform the Church’s educational, cultural and catechetical ministries, and how they can respond to the challenges facing humanity today.

Opening and Participants

His Eminence Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki offered welcoming remarks. Greetings followed from representatives of theological and ecclesiastical circles in the Church of Greece. They included the Fr. Athanasios Gikas, dean of the Faculty of Theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Professor Elias Evangelou, chair of the Department of Theology; and Professor Emeritus Theodoros Giagkos of the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture.

Fr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne, professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, also brought greetings. His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of Miletus, Abbot of the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St. Anastasia, attended throughout.

Associate Professor Stavros Yangazoglou of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens moderated the opening session. That evening, a musical tribute honored the late Professor Chrysostomos Stamoulis. The “Voices” Mixed Choir of St. Barbara’s Church in Thessaloniki, conducted by Konstantinos Diminakis, performed.

Presentations and Workshops

The conference program had two parts. Theologians from the universities of Thessaloniki and Athens presented on the eight central themes of For the Life of the World: the social character of Orthodox Christian ethics; the Church in the public sphere; the course of human life; poverty, wealth, and civil justice; war, peace, and violence; ecumenical and interreligious relations; Orthodoxy and human rights; and science, art, and the natural environment.

Nine interactive workshops followed, led by theologians, educators, and advisors. They turned the document’s themes into practical teaching approaches on social justice, Christian witness in public life, the search for meaning, reconciliation and nonviolence, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, human rights, technology, and environmental responsibility. Workshop titles included “The Art of Reconciliation in a World of Conflict and Violence” and “Our Gift, Our Responsibility: From the Climate Crisis to an Ethos of Shared Responsibility.”

Drawing on biblical and patristic sources, iconography, literature, and art, the workshops provided resources for parish catechesis and secondary education. Organizers placed particular emphasis on methods that connect the Church’s tradition with the experience of children, adolescents, and the wider community.

Charity and Justice

Speakers said the Church’s social responsibility is rooted in the creation of every person in the image and likeness of God, the communion of love revealed in the Holy Trinity, and the Eucharistic and ascetical life of the Church. Participants said that while charity remains indispensable, Orthodox social teaching also calls for addressing the structures and causes of injustice, poverty, exclusion, and exploitation. They drew a distinction between charity and justice, and said the Church must speak prophetically, even when its message challenges those holding political or economic power.

Presenters cited Christ’s identification with the hungry, the suffering, the incarcerated, and the marginalized in Matthew 25. They also said the Divine Liturgy does not end at the church doors–the Eucharistic celebration continues in the daily struggle for justice and compassion.

Human Rights, Dialogue, and Creation

On human rights, presenters said the Orthodox Church supports the protection of fundamental and inalienable rights, as affirmed by the Holy and Great Council of Crete in 2016 and by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in a 2017 address in Germany. 

The conference also considered pastoral questions such as family life, child protection, sexuality, abortion, suicide, and end-of-life care. Participants called for a pastoral approach marked by theological integrity, compassion, discernment, realism, and sensitivity.

For the Life of the World was presented as an invitation to cooperation between Christians and people of other faiths on peacebuilding, social justice, environmental protection, and human dignity. 

Care for creation was described as an essential expression of Christian faith tied to Eucharistic spirituality and the Incarnation. Participants said catechesis should cultivate gratitude, restraint, shared responsibility, and active care for the environment.

Looking ahead

Speakers said the Church should neither withdraw from society nor simply accommodate prevailing attitudes. Participants called for wider study of the document in theological schools, seminaries, parishes, youth ministries and religious education programs. 

The conference closed with a plenary discussion on applying its insights in parish and educational settings. In closing remarks, Metropolitan Philotheos thanked the organizers, presenters, facilitators and participants. He expressed hope that For the Life of the World, the fruit of a synodal process within the Ecumenical Patriarchate, would receive a creative response across the Church, including in catechesis, pastoral ministry, theological education and public witness.

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Anticipation filled the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, New Jersey as hundreds gathered for the enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of New Jersey, marking the beginning of his ministry as spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox faithful in the Metropolis of New Jersey.

The Metropolis encompasses 55 parishes throughout New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

After an enthusiastic greeting on the cathedral’s front steps from the community’s leaders, children, and parish council members, Metropolitan Athenagoras was escorted into the cathedral by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, Patriarchal Representative for His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Clergy and faithful jubilantly proclaimed “Axios!” as the new Metropolitan ascended to the episcopal throne.

The cathedral was filled to standing-room-only with hierarchs, dignitaries, ecumenical leaders, clergy, and faithful from across the country and Metropolis. Metropolitan Athenagoras’s mother, Fotini; brother, Yiannis; and other family members were seated in the front row for the emotional service. Also attending were Her Excellency Iphigenia Kanara, Consul General of the Hellenic Republic; His Excellency Kyriakos Pogiatzis, Consul General of Cyprus; and Edward LaPorte, Deputy Chief of Staff Office of the Secretary of State of New Jersey. A number of ecumenical leaders also attended, including His Excellency Archbishop El-Kassis, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Following the ascent to the throne, the doxology was sung by chanters from the Metropolis, followed by the reading of the Patriarchal and Synodical Letter of the Announcement of Election of Metropolitan Athenagoras by Archdeacon Dionysios Papiris.

In his moving Archpastoral Exhortation, Archbishop Elpidophoros spoke of the two hierarchs’ decades-long friendship and their remarkable journeys to the United States. Calling upon the new Metropolitan to place his gifts entirely at the service of his flock, the Archbishop said:

“Your life as the Shepherd of this Holy Metropolis of New Jersey, will be one of giving and sharing, and indeed of sacrificing yourself, as our Lord sacrificed Himself for the life of the world. Therefore, my Beloved Brother, Metropolitan Athenagoras: Δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε. Freely you have received, freely give. Share your marvelous talents with all through abundant love and compassion. And whatever sacrifice you are called to, make it with love, and thereby you will glorify the God of love … the God Who is love.”

Archbishop Elpidophoros encouraged Metropolitan Athenagoras to share his talents through “abundant love and compassion,” reminding him that the faithful themselves constitute the Body of Christ entrusted to his pastoral care.

“They will support you and encourage you, so lean on them and allow their love to sustain and nurture you,” the Archbishop said.

Presenting Metropolitan Athenagoras with his pastoral staff, Archbishop Elpidophoros offered a final charge:

“Receive this Staff of God’s Powerful Love, this Ράβδων Δυνάμεως, a symbol of how you will guide your People to spiritual pastures that are fertile with virtue and peaceful, and which flow with springs of love and mercy. May you ever be worthy of it! ΑΞΙΟΣ!”

> Read the Archbishop’s full remarks

Metropolitan Cleopas, serving as Patriarchal Representative, spoke of the many responsibilities entrusted to a bishop, emphasizing unity, youth ministry, pastoral presence and the importance of responding wisely to the challenges of contemporary life. His remarks underscored that the episcopacy is a ministry of “love, responsibility, and service,” calling the bishop to strengthen the weak, seek those who have grown distant and lead the faithful toward unity.

> Read Metropolitan Cleopas’s full remarks

He encouraged Metropolitan Athenagoras to give particular attention to young people “seeking meaning and direction” and also addressed the growing influence of artificial intelligence and new technologies. Technology, Metropolitan Cleopas said, can serve as “a useful means of communication and service,” but it must always serve the human person and the community “without replacing personal presence and genuine human encounter.”Metropolitan Cleopas also placed particular emphasis on the preservation of unity, praying that the new Metropolitan’s ministry would ensure that “every person, regardless of background or circumstance, may feel welcomed within the embrace of the Church.” In a personal reflection, he spoke of Metropolitan Athenagoras’s “radiant smile,” encouraging him to continue meeting people with kindness, patience and warmth in a world where many are weary and troubled.

In his enthronement address, Metropolitan Athenagoras offered heartfelt gratitude to all those who have accompanied him with their prayers, guidance and love throughout his life and ministry.

He spoke warmly of his lifelong friendship with Archbishop Elpidophoros, recalling that they first met when Metropolitan Athenagoras was 12 and the future Archbishop was 15.

“We were brothers then, and we are brothers now,” Metropolitan Athenagoras said.

He also paid tribute to his family, remembering his father, Demetrios, of blessed memory, and thanking his mother, Fotini, his brother Yiannis and his family for the encouragement and guidance that helped prepare him for the responsibility he now assumes.

Acknowledging those who shepherded the Metropolis before him, Metropolitan Athenagoras pledged to honor and strengthen the foundation entrusted to him. “I stand on the foundation others have laid. My calling is to guard what I have received, and to build on it with love,” he said.

Turning directly to the clergy and faithful, Metropolitan Athenagoras pledged a ministry rooted in listening, presence and personal encounter.

“Now I extend my hand to you, my beloved faithful of the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey. I come to know you, to listen to you, and to love you. I want to meet you exactly where you are. In our churches and parish halls, in our classrooms and homes, in days of celebration and days of struggle, I want to hear your stories, share your worries, and rejoice in what you have done. I long for us to be a true spiritual family, bound together by His love.”

Metropolitan Athenagoras also announced the establishment of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Scholarship, created in honor of His All-Holiness as the Church celebrates the 35th anniversary of his election and elevation to the Ecumenical Throne. Metropolitan Athenagoras described the scholarship as a unified commitment to the educational future of young people through two paths: priestly vocation and higher education. The fund currently stands at $500,000.

> Read Metropolitan Athenagoras’s full remarks

In a poignant conclusion, the new Metropolitan offered his vision for the future of the Metropolis and, above all, asked the faithful to accompany him with their prayers.

“This is my prayer for our Holy Metropolis: a Church whose heartbeat is prayer, that serves with sleeves rolled up, and welcomes every person with the love of Christ!”

“And I humbly ask for your prayers as I take my first steps as your Metropolitan,” he continued. “Pray that God will give me wisdom when I must decide, courage when I must lead, humility when I must listen, and tenderness when someone is hurting. Above all, pray that I never forget whom I serve, and whose Church this is.”

“May we begin this journey together, with open hearts, growing faith, and the joy of the risen Christ. Σας αγαπώ!”

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