BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew revealed during the session of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Thursday, November 15, according to reliable information given to The National Herald, that the Greek government conveyed its dissatisfaction with the course of ecclesiastical, educational, and other matters of the Greek-American Community under Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, expressed through Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopoulou.

The Deputy Minister visited the Phanar on Monday, November 13, apparently to convey to the Patriarch that the margins of tolerance for Elpidophoros are running out because the unity of the Greek-American Community is at risk. The private meeting, according to Phanar sources, was lengthy, and issues concerning the course of events and the future of the Archdiocese and the Greek-American Community were discussed.

It is noted that Deputy Minister Papadopoulou served as a highly successful ambassador of Greece in Washington and, therefore, is familiar with the situation in the Archdiocese and the communities in the United States first hand.

At the beginning of the meeting, according to the official announcement of the Patriarchate, His Excellency Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, Eleni Petroula, Director of the Minister’s Diplomatic Office, as well as the V. Rev. Archimandrite Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Office, had the opportunity to discuss current issues of interest to Greece and the situation in sensitive areas.

Subsequently, there was a private meeting between the Deputy Minister and the Patriarch.