Archbishop Elpidophoros meets U.S. State Department official

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Raleigh Barnes, at the U.S. Department of State. The meeting, held at the invitation of the American official, focused on the protection of religious freedoms and the rights of religious communities.

A primary topic of discussion was the efforts to reopen the Chalke Theological School. Archbishop Elpidophoros described recent developments regarding the school as ‘particularly hopeful’ and noted that the issue extends beyond the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Orthodoxy to broader human rights and religious liberty.

The two parties also examined the situation of Christian communities in the Middle East. Discussions emphasized the necessity of ensuring the security and religious freedom of historical Christian communities in the region to allow them to live and practice their faith in peace.