Ishtartv.com – greekcitytimes.com

by Kosta Papadopoulos, 9 May 2026

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Friday at the Maximos Mansion where he congratulated him on completing 35 years on the throne of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Mitsotakis said their discussions focused on the protection of Orthodox Christians in the Middle East, an issue of concern for both the Greek government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as the reopening of the Halki Theological School.

“And I want you to know that the Greek state always stood by the Patriarchate and by you personally, supporting you in every way so that you may carry out and continue your work,” Mitsotakis said.

Patriarch Bartholomew thanked the Greek government for its support and conveyed the blessing of the Mother Church along with greetings from the Greek community in Constantinople.

The Ecumenical Patriarch revealed that he recently spoke with the Patriarch John X of Antioch, who described the difficult situation faced by Christians in Syria and Lebanon.

“The number of Christians there dwindled, and they faced problems in Syria and Lebanon, where the Patriarch of Antioch’s jurisdiction extends,” Bartholomew said.

The Patriarch also announced that next month he would travel to Imvros alongside the Patriarchs of Romania and Bulgaria to strengthen ties and discuss shared challenges facing Orthodox communities.