In a press release issued regarding the meeting of Prokopis Pavlopoulos with Patriarch Theophilos, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem misreported today the words of the President of the Hellenic Republic.
Although the President of the Hellenic Republic called on the Patriarch of Jerusalem to follow the example of the Church of Greece and support the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Press and Information Office of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem wrote that the president thanked the Patriarch for his support to him, the Greek people and the Church of Greece.
“The Greek State is on your side and on the side of the Ancient Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in your struggle for the defense of the principles and values of Orthodox Christianity. In this regard, we look forward, citing as the Church of Greece as a prime example, to your full support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his struggle for the representation and support of all Orthodox Christian, especially in these difficult and turbulent times.”
This is what the president told the Patriarch Theophilos just as what had been transcribed by the Presidency of the Republic and shown in the relevant video. The Press and Information Office of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, however, posted the following: “Replying, the President thanked His Beatitude for His support to him, the Greek people and the Church of Greece.”
RISK OF ISOLATION
Lately, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is in danger of being isolated in relation to the majority of the rest of the Orthodox Churches, due to Patriarch Theophilos’ decision to convene a primate’s synaxis in Jordan, bypassing the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The polite but meaningful remark made by the President of the Hellenic Republic on the struggle of the Ecumenical Patriarchate “for the representation and support of all Orthodox Christian” seems to have caused embarrassment at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, whose invitation to Jordan “synaxis” has been recently declined by one Orthodox Church after another.