“Archbishop Elpidophoros of America was invited to offer a prayer and speak at the Republican National Convention, but could not attend it because he was on a visit to the Phanar at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople,” said the spokesperson of the Archdiocese of America, Father Evagoras Konstantinidis, as reported by anamniseis.net.
The Republican National Convention took place last week. It started on Monday, August 23, 2020, and ended on the night of Thursday, August 27, 2020, with President Trump’s speech in the presence of over 1,500 guests in the White House Rose Garden.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America offered a prayer to the Democratic National Convention and, given the tradition of the last four decades, his participation was considered certain, even through a videotaped message at Republican National Convention.
The absence of the Archbishop from the Republican National Convention was unfavorably commented by Greek diaspora online media, raising reasonable questions.
The anamniseis.net website asked the reasonable questions to the spokesperson of the Holy Archdiocese and the answer was immediate.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America left for the Phanar after the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy that was performed at the Church of the Assumption in Southampton, New York, and is expected to return on Saturday, September 5, 2020.
Tomorrow, September 1, he will participate in the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy that will be performed at the Phanar on the occasion of the beginning of the new liturgical year, presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Finally, it should be noted that Elpidophoros’ trip to the Phanar is the first transatlantic trip he made in the last six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.