Dear Brother Archons and Friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate:
Everyone who is dedicated to supporting and defending the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople should take the time to view this brief and informative documentary, which you will find below. In just half an hour, the European public service channel Arte has provided a moving and enlightening glimpse into the daily lives of the Roum (Rum), the Greek Orthodox community in Constantinople, as they determinedly keep their faith, culture and traditions alive against enormous challenges.
The documentary is entitled “The Last Greeks of Turkey.” As we are all well aware, the twentieth century was a particularly harrowing time for the Greek Orthodox Christians of Turkey, with pogroms, forced labor camps, mass expulsions, violence and racism all taking their toll on the community. Today, however, although there are fewer than 2,000 Hellenes remaining in Turkey, we continue to pray and hope for a rebirth of this ancient community.
All Archons should be sure to take half an hour and watch this. I am grateful to our brother Archons Frank Boardman and Demitrios Constantinidis for bringing this documentary to our attention. May it be an inspiration for us to redouble our efforts to protect the future of faith and ensure that the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be able to exercise its global ministry from Constantinople for generations to come.
Yours in the defense of our Holy Mother Church,
Anthony J. Limberakis, MD
Archon Megas Aktouarios
National Commander
