BOSTON – His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew fired Grand Archimandrite Agathangelos Siskos after the article of The National Herald on April 21 that revealed that, “on April 17 Turkish authorities arrested the Grand Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Agathangelos Siskos, for the theft of a pocket watch of great value. He was sent to jail, from which he was however released with the intervention of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s police guard. Patriarch Bartholomew has placed him on indefinite suspension. Phanar sources told The National Herald that the Patriarch is very concerned and saddened by the incident because the Patriarchate is being defamed since the issue has been widely reported in the Turkish press and on the internet – a video of the incident has been broadcast.”

The Patriarch brought the issue to the meeting of the Holy Synod on Tuesday April 25, and the following announcement was issued by the Chief Secretariat of the Holy Synod:

“The Holy Synod met today, April 25, 2023, under the chairmanship of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who brought the issue of Grand Archimandrite Agathangelos Siskos.

After an exchange of views and taking into account the defamation of the institution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it was decided to terminate the ministry at the Phanar of the above mentioned cleric.”