Archon Evagelos Sotiropoulos, the President of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archons in Canada, and Archon Theodore Papadatos traveled to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, on June 4, 2026, to meet with parliamentarians for discussions on the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Senator and Archon Leo Housakos joined them there.
Members of Parliament Costas Menegakis and Vince Gasparro jointly organized two briefing sessions in which nine parliamentarians participated. Archon Sotiropoulos, the author of the informative book, The Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ukraine Autocephaly, which the U.S. Archons distributed several years ago in order to enlighten people about this issue, gave a comprehensive presentation detailing the history and works of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as the First Throne of the Orthodox Church, as well as the historic ministry of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S., commented: “The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S. congratulate our Canadian Brother Archons for their excellent work in service to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. We visited the Metropolis of Toronto twice while our dear friends Archons John Halecky and Jim Fountas of blessed memory were still with us to share our initiatives, and similarly, we have invited as our guest the president of the St. Paul Canada Archons to our Archon Weekend.”
The parliamentarians and the Archons discussed specific issues of concern regarding the human rights and religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, together with possible areas of collaboration between federal lawmakers and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The Archons also presented the parliamentarians with the U.S. Archons Winter 2026 newsletter, which covers the September 2025 Apostolic Visit of His All-Holiness to the United States and reception of the prestigious Templeton Prize, as well as with “Archon Educational Cards” that the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S. developed.
The Archons also gave the parliamentarians icons of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew, Patron Saint of the Ecumenical Patriarch, and of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called, Patron Saint of the Mother Church of Constantinople. The two main organizers, MPs Menegakis and Gasparro, received customized icons of their Patron Saints, St. Constantine the Great and St. Vincent of Lerins, respectively.
The Sisters of the St. Kosmas Aitolos Monastery in Bolton specifically developed the holy icons for this delegation visit.
The Archons also presented MP Baker, who is of Ukrainian descent, with the book The Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ukraine Autocephaly: Historical, Canonical, and Pastoral Perspectives, which the U.S. Archons published in collaboration with the Archons in Canada.
“On behalf of Archons Housakos and Papadatos,” said Archon Sotiropoulos, “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all parliamentarians who participated in the sessions to learn about the Patriarchate and His All-Holiness, along with their commitment to continue the collaboration and dialogue.”
Parliamentarians who participated in the sessions included Senator and Archon Leo Housakos, as well as MPs Yvan Baker, Fayçal El-Khoury, Peter Fragiskatos, Vince Gasparro, Garnett Genuis, Costas Menegakis, Dan Muys, and Jean Yip, MP.
Before the sessions on Parliament Hill, Archon Sotiropoulos, together with the distinguished Rev. Fr. Alexander Michalopulos, long-time Parish Priest of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church in Ottawa, visited the Hon. Markos Tripolitakis, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Greece, for constructive dialogue on Canada-Greece relations and the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the leader of Eastern Christianity.
