Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Elpidophoros Meet President Trump at the White House

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Elpidophoros Meet with President Trump at the White House

On September 15, 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for a private, cordial, and sincere discussion.

The Ecumenical Patriarch shared that the conversation focused on critical issues facing the Orthodox Church and global Christian communities, including:

• The challenges faced by the small Christian population in Türkiye and the ongoing closure of the Theological School of Halki.

• The war in Ukraine, the humanitarian tragedy it has caused, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2019.

• The declining Christian presence in the Middle East and the urgent need to preserve access to the Holy Sites.

The delegation also referenced the upcoming November visit of Pope Leo XIV to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, emphasizing the importance of theological dialogue and the “dialogue of love” between Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians. His All-Holiness extended condolences to the President on the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk.

Accompanying the Patriarch were senior hierarchs and clergy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as Greek-American leaders including Michael Kratsios and Reince Priebus.

The Patriarch also outlined the remainder of his Apostolic Visit to the United States, which includes receiving the prestigious Templeton Prize, visiting universities in New York, meeting with the Greek-American community, and leading worship services.