His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew warmly welcomed Greek Orthodox faithful during a banquet held in his honor on November 28, 2025. Distinguished guests at the dinner held as part of the pilgrimage , “A Journey to Meet the Ecumenical Patriarch & the Pope of Rome,” included His Beatitude, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria Theodoros, Metropolitans and hierarchs from the United States, hierarchs and representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Antioch and Jerusalem, and The Honorable Michael Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
In attendance at the banquet in Istanbul was Michael J. Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources from the U.S. Department of State. (Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos)After joyful fellowship, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America offered remarks to His All-Holiness and to the pilgrims noting the nature of this historic pilgrimage and the visits of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Nicaea to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of First Council and to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the Feastday of St. Andrew the Apostle.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America greeting Rigas. (Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos)“In Nicaea, the two lungs of Christianity breathed again in unison, if only for a moment, a sign that the Spirit of God still moves where faith and courage meet. That meeting was not a courtesy but a confession: a confession that the love of Christ is stronger than habit, that dialogue is holier than silence, and that truth spoken in humility still has power to heal the divisions of a millennium. And tomorrow (November 29) , the visit of His Holiness Pope Leo to the Phanar, to the sacred grounds of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, carries a meaning deeper than protocol. It is a pilgrimage to the heart of Orthodoxy, to the place where the Church’s universal conscience has been formed through centuries of councils, prayer, and sacrifice.
“Constantinople is not merely a city of the past; it is the living symbol of the Church’s capacity to endure, to forgive, and to lead with love. Every stone there bears witness to the truth that the unity of the Body of Christ is not an idea to be negotiated, but a mystery to be rediscovered, through humility, through listening, through grace.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros served as a visible link to American faithful during the pilgrimage. (Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos)“Your All-Holiness, by welcoming the Bishop of Rome to the Phanar, You have given to the world a living icon of hope. You remind all Christians that dialogue is not weakness, but faith in action, that to extend a hand across history is not to surrender or compromise identity, but to fulfill the commandment to love. This visit stirs the conscience of the Christian world and rekindles in the hearts of the faithful the longing for a communion of love”
His All-Holiness responded with deep gratitude and affection, saying:
“I welcome you as the Archbishop and shepherd of the Archdiocese of Constantinople. But also as the primate of the first throne of Orthodoxy to which you have the privilege to belong…I remember very vividly my recent visit to the United States and I had the chance to experience the vitality, the organization of your dynamic Archbishop and also the progress and good works of our omogenia which enjoys the respect of the American Community. And I was proud.”
After reviewing the highlights of his recent Apostolic Visit he offered his deepest thanks and respect to the clergy, and to the “entire precious flock in America”.
After the formal remarks, the attendees offered their sincerest birthday wishes to the Archbishop, who celebrated his birthday during the pilgrimage, singing “Happy Birthday” and cutting a traditional cake. To close this event, representatives of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, the National Philoptochos, AHEPA, and the St. George Jordanian Orthodox Church in Yonkers, NY offered brief remarks and presented gifts to His All-Holiness on behalf of their respective memberships.
Annita Kartalopoulos, Vice President of the The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. (Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos)
E. Chris Kaitson, Supreme President of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.
