THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF GREECE VISITS THE PATRIARCHATE

On Thursday 24 September/ 8 October 2021, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece Mr Themistoklis Demoiris visited the Patriarchate, accompanied by staff of his office, the Ambassador of Greece to Tel Aviv Mr Kyriakos Loukakis, the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras and staff of the Embassy and the Consulate.

His Excellency Mr Themistoklis Demoiris was received by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and Hagiotaphite Fathers, Geronda Secretary-General, His Eminence Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Elder Dragoman Archimandrite Mattheos, the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens Archimandrite Raphael and Archdeacon Mark.

In this meeting, there was a conversation about the central role of the Patriarchate in vital issues of the Holy Sepulchre, about the need to solve the problem of the hotels of the Patriarchate at Jaffa Gate, guided by the law of the Patriarchate, about Greece’s role as an advocate on this regard, about the historic event of the restoration of the Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre and about the Patriarchate’s role in the keeping of the religious, political and cultural Status Quo in Jerusalem, especially in the Old City.

For this visit, His Beatitude offered Mr Demoiris a copy of the icon of Jerusalem and various blessings to the members of the delegation.

From Secretariat-General