On Monday, September 15, 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met at the White House with His Excellency Mr. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, who is the sixth President he has visited.
The meeting in the Oval Office, which lasted more than half an hour, was conducted in a very cordial atmosphere, with His Excellency the President expressing great interest in the various initiatives and ministry of the Ecumenical Throne, as well as in the life of Christians in Türkiye.
During the discussion, His All-Holiness congratulated His Excellency the President for his initiatives and his overall efforts for the prevalence of peace in the world, especially in Ukraine. They also discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East.
Reference was also made to the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV of Rome to Türkiye, in order to jointly commemorate with His All-Holiness the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The Vice President, His Excellency Mr. JD Vance, a Roman Catholic by faith, showed great interest in this meeting.
The Patriarch offered his condolences to the President of the United States for the assassination of his friend and associate Charlie Kirk, and thanked him for the warm reception and the beautiful gift.
At the meeting in the Oval Office, His All-Holiness was accompanied by Their Eminences Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, and Metropolitan Maximos of Silivri, as well as the Very Reverend Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Private Office, and the Reverend Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Alexander Karloutsos.
The Honorable President was accompanied by the Vice President, as well as the Honorable gentlemen Reince Priebus, member of the President’s Advisory Committee on Intelligence Services, and Michael Kratsios, the President’s Scientific Advisor.
Original Greek press release here.
Photo by Archons/Orthodox Observer/J. Mindala
