Patriarch Bartholomew's meeting with President Trump

In particular, according to the Patriarchate’s announcement, “the meeting in the Oval Office, which lasted more than half an hour, was held in a very cordial atmosphere, with His Excellency the President expressing great interest in the various initiatives and ministry of the Ecumenical Throne and in the life of Christians in Turkey.”

During the meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew congratulated Trump “for his initiatives and overall effort for the establishment of peace in the world and in particular in Ukraine. They also discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East.”

As the announcement states, “reference was also made to the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Turkey, in order to commemorate together with His All-Holiness this year’s 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The Vice President, His Excellency Mr. JD Vance, who is a Roman Catholic Christian by religion, showed great interest in the meeting.

The Patriarch expressed his condolences to the President of the United States for the murder of his friend and collaborator Charlie Kirk and thanked him for the warm welcome and for his beautiful gift.”

At the meeting in the Oval Office, Patriarch Bartholomew was accompanied by “His Holiness of America, His Holiness Elpidophoros, His Holiness Theodoritos, and His Holiness Maximos of Silybria, the Panosiol. His Eminence Archbishop Aetios, Director of the Special Patriarchal Office, and His Eminence Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Alexander Karloutsos.

The Excellency President was accompanied by the Vice President, as well as the Honorable Messrs. Reince Priebus, member of the President’s Advisory Committee on Intelligence Services, and Michael Kratsios, Scientific Advisor to the President,” the announcement concludes.