BOSTON – Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has turned openly against the will and directives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew regarding the Charter of the Archdiocese of America, as it appears from the last meeting of the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese in New York on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

We reveal today that the will and the directives given by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Commission of the Phanar for the Charter call for no changes to come to the metropolises and their respective metropolitans. It is recalled that the Commission of the Phanar and, by extension, the so-called ‘mixed’ Commission on the Charter, that is, consisting of the representatives of both the Phanar and the Archdiocese, is chaired by Metropolitan Emmanuel Geron of Chalcedon.

At the meeting of the Eparchial Synod in the United States, Elpidophoros completely ignored the Patriarchal mandate and directives, and in order to make himself the sole sovereign hierarch of all America, referred to the creation of small ‘Regions’ or ‘Districts’ (Περιφέρειες) within the existing metropolises, in which he will place assistant bishops who will have to report to him. He even mentioned at the Synod that the Church is divided and heading towards autocephaly, which caused the hierarchs who are members of the Eparchial Synod to become upset, compelling them to properly deal with him through a range of unanimous reactions and dynamic interventions.

In this way, Elpidophoros essentially aims to overthrow the current system of the Archdiocese, abolish the metropolises, and weaken the role of the metropolitans, aspiring to concentrate power in his hands for the entire territory of the United States.

He seeks to be commemorated in the services everywhere and always, while in order to achieve this he includes Patriarch Bartholomew, saying – even publicly to at Leadership 100 gatherings – that the people in America do not even know his name, while everyone knows Pope Francis of Rome.

We also reveal that Elpidophoros slandered Metropolitan Emmanuel Geron of Chalcedon by saying that he “takes back” what he said to the Charter committee about having a triple commemoration, namely Bartholomew, Elpidophoros, and the local Metropolitan. He even mentioned that there was also a related argument behind closed doors in front of Patriarch Bartholomew, before whom Emmanuel brought Elpidophoros on the matter in question.

Elpidophoros is trying to imitate the system of the Archdiocese of Constantinople by creating Districts under which certain communities-parishes fall under those so-called Hierarchical Supervisors (Αρχιερατικοί Επόπτες), who are supposedly active Metropolitans. They have to report to Bartholomew, who visits them once or twice a year, first having the Overseer Hierarch bring ‘the traditional holy bread’ accompanied by the administrative board of the celebrating community to the Phanar, according to tradition.

In the meantime, Elpidophoros in the Eparchial Synod he once again slandered both the former Archbishop of America Spyridon and the former Metropolitan of New Jersey and now Sardis, Evangelos. It is recalled that he had done something similar, as The National Herald revealed, at the meeting of Leadership 100 in Arizona in front of laypeople, for which there is also relevant video.

At the Clergy-Laity Congress of the Archdiocese last July, he had invited and honored Archbishop Spyridon by presenting him with an icon of Christ the Sower, but we reveal that the two clerics whom he had assigned to go to the airport to receive Spyridon never showed up, forcing Spyridon to take a taxi to the Marriot Marquis hotel. Elpidophoros’ emissaries claim that they went to the airport, but did not find Spyridon.

Elpidophoros also told the Eparchial Synod that hierarchs and priests should resign at the age of 75, but that this should not apply to those now serving, but in the future.

Some documents he sent to the members of the Eparchial Synod were for reading only – they could neither forward them nor print them, for fear they would end up in The National Herald.

Information from the Phanar states that Patriarch Bartholomew is very concerned with the situation that Elpidophoros has created in America, but also with the entirety of his behavior, including the baptism in Glyfada, his gluttony for self-promotion in any way and by any means, and his behind-the-scenes actions through his paid consultants.

Bartholomew is waiting for the Hierarchs of the Eparchial Synod to visit the Phanar on April 5, to hear from them what is going on, as he realizes that things are leading to a critical situation with Elpidophoros, who is trying in every way to mislead and flatter the Patriarch, as even members of the Patriarchal Court are claiming.