The following appeared earlier today on the Facebook page of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

So far as we know, His Eminence is the first Orthodox hierarch to follow in the footsteps of Archbishop Iakovos of thrice-blessed memory in Selma, Alabama.

Many Years, O Master! Εἰς πολλὰ ἔτη, Δέσποτα!

✠

I came here to Brooklyn today in order to stand in solidarity with my fellow sisters and brothers whose rights have been sorely abused. This was a peaceful protest, one without violence of any kind, and I thank all of those involved, because violence begets only more violence. We must speak and speak loudly against the injustice in our country. It is our moral duty and obligation to uphold the sanctity of every human being. We have faced a pandemic of grave physical illness, but the spiritual illness in our land runs even deeper and must be healed by actions as well as words. And so, I will continue to stand in the breach together with all those who are committed to preserving peace, justice, and equality for every citizen of goodwill, regardless of their race, religion, gender or ethnic origin.

Ήρθα σήμερα εδώ στο Brooklyn για να εκφράσω την αλληλεγγύη μου προς τις αγαπητές μου αδελφές και τους αγαπητούς μου αδελφούς, των οποίων τα δικαιώματα έχουν καταπατηθεί βάναυσα. Ήταν μία ειρηνική διαμαρτυρία, δίχως κανενός είδους βία και θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω όλους τους συμμετέχοντες, διότι η βία γεννά μόνο περισσότερη βία. Πρέπει να αρθρώσουμε λόγο και μάλιστα λόγο ηχηρό κατά της αδικίας στη χώρα μας. Αποτελεί ηθικό καθήκον και υποχρέωσή μας να υποστηρίξουμε την ιερότητα κάθε ανθρώπινης ύπαρξης. Αντιμετωπίσαμε μία πανδημία που προκάλεσε σοβαρές σωματικές ασθένειες, αλλά η πνευματική ασθένεια στην πατρίδα μας βαθαίνει ακόμη περισσότερο και πρέπει να θεραπευτεί τόσο με πράξεις όσο και με λόγια. Εγώ θα συνεχίσω να στέκομαι στο πλευρό όλων εκείνων που εργάζονται για τη διατήρηση της ειρήνης, της δικαιοσύνης και της ισονομίας για κάθε καλοπροαίρετο πολίτη, ανεξαρτήτως φυλής, θρησκείας, φύλου ή εθνικής καταγωγής.

See the White Supremacy and Racism section in our Archives 2017-19 and Archives 2020.

Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America has been the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese since June 2019. A brief official biography can be read on the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

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