The President of PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis, met with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, on Tuesday morning.
“It is a great honor and blessing to meet with you today, Your Beatitude. I want you to know that we are always by your side in protecting the rights of the Patriarchate, protecting Christians in the Middle East, and defending the legal status of the Holy Land,” Mr. Androulakis noted in his opening remarks.
“We know, and you know better than we do, that you are in the eye of the storm of many upheavals, particularly following the war that began between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
We hope for and are working toward peace in the broader region based on respect for international law. Peace between Israelis and Palestinians through a solution that will bring about two states with prosperity and stability between the two peoples.
For us, the unity of the ancient Patriarchates is a priority. Especially under these circumstances, this is crucial for Orthodoxy and for all of Hellenism. And I wish you good health, strength, and the ability to continue your godly work,” emphasized Mr. Androulakis.
For his part, the Patriarch of Jerusalem noted: “Your words move us because we see that there is genuine interest on the part of Greece’s political leadership in the Holy Land and in the prevalence of peace. And this is also the mission of the Patriarchate.
For us, every person is considered the image of God. And the image of God is found in the human soul. I want to assure you that to this day, the Patriarchate continues to play this role amidst the prevailing and difficult situation of war and political crisis.Thank you very much. We appreciate your interest. After all, this is not the first time we have met. You also visited the Holy Land during the Easter season, and we had a very productive meeting and collaboration.”