In a wide-ranging interview with the journalist George Kouvaras, our intrepid Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness Bartholomew, speaks truth to power in love. His All-Holiness offers a series of thought-provoking and insightful statements on the reality of the devastating war that is taking place now in Ukraine; the undermining of the unity of our Holy Orthodox Church by Moscow Patriarch Kirill; the injustice of the continued closure of the Theological School of Halki; and more.

All Archons, all Orthodox Christians, and all people of good will would benefit immeasurably from reading this extraordinary interview in its entirety here, prayerfully pondering its contents, and doing our utmost to live up to the model of Christian courage and conviction that our loving and merciful God has given us in the person of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Yours in the service of the Holy Mother Church,

Anthony J. Limberakis, MD

Archon Aktouarios

National Commander

The war in Ukraine, the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church, the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Hagia Sophia, and his forthcoming visit to Mount Athos were at the center of the interview given by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew “At the Center” of ERT1 and the journalist George Kouvaras.

In front of the Patriarchal Church and the courtyard of the Patriarchate, the Ecumenical Patriarch spoke about the war in Ukraine, following a question about the attitude of the Russian Church and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow towards the war and underlined:

“It would not be possible for all the Churches not to condemn the violence, the war. But the Church of Russia let us down. I did not want the Church of Russia and Brother Patriarch Kirill to be this tragic exception.

I don’t know how he can justify himself to his conscience. How he’ll justify it, how history will judge him. He had to stand up for himself. Because one can object to being pressured by President Putin. He should react to the invasion of Ukraine and condemn the war as all the other Orthodox Primates did.

He did not, that is to his detriment and I am very sorry. We may have had other differences, the one known for the Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine, the one we have had for centuries because the Russian Church covets the primacy of Constantinople, and undermines the foundations of the throne of Constantinople, but I expected brother Kirill at this critical, historic moment to rise to the occasion.

If it is required to even sacrifice his throne, and tell Putin, Mr. President, I cannot agree with you, I resign, I leave. Or put him in jail, I don’t know what President Putin would do if the Patriarch reacted to his plans, but that is what we, the other Primates, would expect.”