Mike Pompeo receives the Athenagoras Award of the Archons

Present at the ceremony were Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, a member of the Provincial Synod, the commander of the Order of Archons Dr. Antonios Lymberakis, John Katsimatidis and the Grand Protopresbyter Alexander Karloutsos.

The special feature of the evening was the announcement of the names of the new members of the order, whose ordination took place on Sunday morning at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

During the recognition of the new members, it was noted that the children of some of the already active Archons have now entered the ranks of the order, which makes the exercise particularly important in defending the rights and freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The Commander of the Order of Archons of St. Andrew, Dr. Anthony Lymberakis, referred to the role and challenges that religious leaders face today, in a world where Freedom of Religion is constantly being persecuted.

Dr. Lymberakis praised Mr. Pompeo and referred to the efforts he made as Minister to promote human rights.

Mike Pompeo was the keynote speaker at a conference organized in 2024 in Athens on the topic of religious freedom by the Archons.

The award was presented to the former minister, who was accompanied by his wife.

When the moment came and he took the floor, Mr. Pompeo emphasized that the American nation would not exist if the principle of freedom of religion did not exist.

Life in America, he emphasized, is special and unique.

Then, Mr. Pompeo referred to the places around the world where there are hotbeds of human rights persecution and emphasized that among other countries, China claims the title of the greatest violator of religious freedoms.

Mr. Pompeo referred to the actions he took as Minister to upgrade relations with various religious centers, with visits by religious leaders and with the creation of new services on religious freedoms in his ministry.

Of particular note was his reference to his meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Costantinople, which took place without him informing the Turkish Government. That is, he went directly to Turkey, met with the Patriarch and then departed on his plane.

The Archbishop of America, Mr. Elpidophoros, after pointing out that the choice of Mr. Pompeo continues the tradition of honoring personalities of international prestige who strive to improve the situation for the human race.

Mr. Pompeo said, he is a leader in the fight for human rights. The evening closed with these few speeches, without unnecessary outbursts.

For the national anthems, the soprano Katina Pantazopoulou was recruited, who used the cello for the background music.

Among others present at the dinner was the Lecturer at George Washington University, John Gountanis, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Strategic Policy and Planning of the US Department of Homeland Security.

The event was hosted by the well-known journalist on the FOX News cable channel, Mr. Michael Emmanuel.