WASHINGTON, DC – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America spoke about the shared values and principles of Greece and the United States in his remarks at the Bicentennial (plus one) Celebration in honor of Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Mrs. Mitsotakis on May 16 at the White House with President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden as well as many leaders of the community present.

His Eminence’s remarks follow:

Mr. President and Dr. Biden,

Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Mitsotaki,

Dear Friends,

Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen!

Our joy today – to be in the presence of the leaders of the Birthplace of Democracy and the world’s greatest Democracy – commences with our Paschal greeting.

Because here at the White House, we are celebrating the resurrection of the Greek Nation with its Prime Minister for the very first time. This special commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Greek Revolution (plus one), in the Year of the Centennial of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as the premier Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, is an unforgettable honor to the Greek-American Community. And it is a sign to the world of the steadfast commitment to Democracy and to freedom of both Nations, in a time of the rise of autocrats around the world, and particularly the struggle of the People of Ukraine to maintain national integrity against unjust aggression.

Mr. President, your friendship with Hellenism and your support of the Hellenic Republic are known to all.

Mr. Prime Minister, you have reached out beyond the borders of Greece, to invite the best of the world, and to offer the best of our homeland.

Together, you make us all optimistic for a better world and a brighter tomorrow. Greece, the wellspring of democratic values and of Western Civilization, and America, the world’s best hope of liberty and self-determination for all.

We all thank you both for your strong support of justice, and especially for the freedom of the purely spiritual mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

May God bless you both, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, the First Ladies, and your families, with health and long life, with wisdom, grace, and strength.

And may our Creator bless the course of human events that we now pass in the world, such that our life, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness, are always shielded by the principles and values of Democracy – the gift of Hellas to the world, and the inspiration of the American Dream.

Ζήτω Ἀμερική! Ζήτω τὸ Ἑλληνικὸ Ἔθνος!

Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη!