To the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mr.Theophilos III, was received today at the Maximou Mansion by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

According to information, during the meeting the cooperation of the Greek State with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the developments concerning the status quo of the holy shrines, including issues of protection of the Patriarchate’s historical rights and ancient privileges were discussed.

Special emphasis was placed on the security situation in the Middle East, in light of the recent escalation of tensions in the region, and the challenges facing Christian communities.

The Prime Minister reiterated Greece’s long-standing interest in supporting the Christian presence, especially the Orthodox Christians, who are the oldest Christian community in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East, as well as its firm commitment to the protection of religious freedom and freedom of worship.

“I know that you, like me, are particularly concerned about preserving the special status quo of the Holy Land, just as we are concerned about the protection of all Christian Orthodox populations in the Middle East, who are also being tested by this very great geopolitical turmoil that many of us are called upon to manage,” the Prime Minister said.

The visit of the Patriarch of Jerusalem is part of the close and continuous cooperation between the Greek State and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and follows the repeated visits of the Prime Minister and members of the government to the Holy Land.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister and Patriarch Mgr.Theophilus III had the following dialogue:

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I am very pleased to welcome you, Your Beatitude, to Athens, after the visit I paid you in Jerusalem.

You are visiting us at an extremely turbulent time for the wider Middle East region, which is why I consider the timing of our meeting to be extremely important.

I always remember that on the flag of the Patriarchate there are the two Greek letters “F” and “T”, “guardians of the tomb”, which suggests the historicity of the genus, but also its very great importance, which the Greek State attributes to the close cooperation with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and, of course, the role played by all four Presbyterian Patriarchates – with the Great Church of Constantinople, of course, being prominent – for the unity of the Greek Orthodox world.

I know that you, like me, are particularly concerned about preserving the special status quo of the Holy Land, just as we are concerned about protecting all the Christian Orthodox populations in the Middle East, who are also being tested through this very great geopolitical turmoil that many of us are being called upon to manage.

I am very interested to hear your thoughts, as well as your assessment of the extremely important meeting you had with President Trump, who also attaches a great deal of importance to these issues.

Finally, I would like to express my satisfaction, Your Beatitude, for the important agreement you have signed with the Ministry of Culture, which demonstrates in practice the will of the Greek State to protect your relics and this priceless cultural treasure which you administer and which must be protected, preserved and handed over to future generations intact.

Once again, then, I welcome you to Athens and wish you strength in your difficult tasks in these troubled times that we are called upon to face.

Patriarch Theophilos III: Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister, for the interest which you are showing, in every way and in many ways. We are particularly pleased about this meeting, which is of particular importance, not only for the relations of the Patriarchate with the friendly homeland, but is of particular importance for the place in which we live and move, for the Holy Land and especially for Jerusalem, which is the reference point for the whole world.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem is essentially the embodiment of the sacred history of Jerusalem. And of course, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, that which is inextricably linked, or better to say, is an integral part of the pious race of the Romans, which pious race of the Romans had this great honor by divine providence to raise the Holy Sepulchre.

And as you know, in the Holy Sepulchre there is an inscription which reads: “The resurrected me”, the royal and imperial lineage of the Romans.

We are very grateful for the interest you have shown and for the time you have taken for this meeting.

And, as you said, we are glad because we see that there is an interest on the part of the Greek State and you personally in the presence and safeguarding of the Christians there.

An issue of intense concern to both the State Department and the President himself, Mr. Trump, who in the discussion that we had, in the meeting, referred to this issue of preserving the status of Jerusalem, we mean both the pilgrimage status, but also the existence of Christians in the Middle East.

We had a very good meeting. We also convey to you the greetings of President Trump, who, I think, is also willing to visit Greece on an upcoming visit to this area.

Finally, we want to thank you for this memorandum, which we signed with Ms. Mendoni. It is indeed a historic moment for the Patriarchate and, as you said, it proves in practice the relationship of the Patriarchate of Fiumeus with Greece, which has been and remains the nurturing mother of all the clergy serving in the diaspora, but especially in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

We thank you very much again and convey to you the blessings of the Holy City of Jerusalem and the holy brotherhood.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Thank you, Your Beatitude.