Dear Brother Archons and Friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate emphatically applaud and stand firmly behind the decision of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center to honor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with its 2026 Beacon of Hope Award.
For over four years of Russia’s brutal, unprovoked and fratricidal war against Ukraine, President Zelenskyy has stood as a beacon of hope both for the people of Ukraine and for the world. He has defied extraordinary odds to preserve Ukraine’s independence and become a symbol worldwide of courage, perseverance, integrity, and steadfastness in the face of an inhuman and implacable foe.
A champion of religious freedom, President Zelenskyy has fought fiercely not only for the political independence of the Ukrainian people, but for their spiritual liberation from the illegitimate omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate. He has given his full support to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s grant of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine on January 5, 2019, and has stood unwaveringly for the independent identity and unassailable human dignity of the Ukrainian people.
Some critics have attacked the Saint Nicholas Shrine’s choice, claiming that President Zelenskyy has been “persecuting” that segment of the Ukrainian Church that continues under the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate. These critics, however, neglect to mention a critical fact: the Russian Orthodox priests arrested by Ukrainian authorities were informing Russian forces on Ukrainian troop positions. Hiding behind their ecclesiastical status, they sought to create the false impression that President Zelenskyy was infringing on religious freedom. The reality is that he is acting decisively against traitors and saboteurs, as is necessary in wartime.
Demonstrating his solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their hour of crisis, His All-Holiness has met with President Zelenskyy numerous times, at the Phanar in Constantinople, in Kyiv, and elsewhere. His All-Holiness has repeatedly emphasized his wholehearted support for the people of Ukraine in their struggle, and recently expressed the hope of again visiting Kyiv after the successful conclusion of hostilities.
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate stand with the Ukrainian people, with President Zelenskyy, and with the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine — united in recognizing that, in our troubled and darkened world, President Zelenskyy truly is a beacon of hope. Axios!
Yours in the service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis
The Archon Grand Aktouarios
National Commander
