Today, Tuesday, May 28, for the second day, the 4th International Conference of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which began yesterday, Monday, on the theme "Protection of Religious Freedom, Democracy & Human Rights".
Eva Metis Koutoumanou
The three-day conference is attended by Archons from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia.
The proceedings of the second day, which take place at the Zappeion Megaron, were attended by the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from all over the world, as well as Father Alex Karloutsos, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Archbishop Nikitas of Thyatira, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, and M. Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Private Office. Among today's speakers, are former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Dr. Despina Hadjivassiliou-Tsovili, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Yesterday's opening of the Conference took place at the Stoa of Attalos, while the first session took place in the afternoon at the Old Parliament Building, on "Democracy, Authoritarianism and its implications (opportunities and challenges) for religious communities internationally", where the keynote speaker was His Eminence Roman Catholic Archbishop Vilnius Gintaras Grušas, President of the Council of European Episcopal Assemblies (CCEE). Later, A guided tour of the Acropolis Museum followed by a dinner hosted by the couple Athanasios and Marina Martinou.
Present at the opening proceedings were Greek-American billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis with his wife Margo Catsimatidis, Greek businessman Dimitris Melissanidis, Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas and many other prominent personalities of the political, religious and business world. Ecumenical Patriarch Barthomoleos sent a video message to the participants.
In his welcome to conference participants from around the world, Dr. Antonis Lyberakis, Governor of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, announced that next fall, the Archons in America will award Alexei Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, the "Athenagoras Human Rights Award" for 2024.arxontes3
In his address, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece said, inter alia, that "in this era where many usurp common values of humanity and arbitrarily discredit others, the promotion by your Congress of the triptych of religious freedom, democracy and human rights in the perspective of our spiritual Tradition acquires particular importance."
After the conclusion of the Conference, Mr. Martinos and Dr. Lyberakis will convene the first International Conference of Archons, in which they will plan initiatives to defend the Ecumenical Patriarchate and create a platform through which they will coordinate the activities of the Archons in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Who are the Archons
The Order of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is a group of leading figures dedicated to the task of protecting religious freedom as well as securing the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is the center for more than 300,000,000 Orthodox Christians around the globe.
The Athens Conference is attended by 1,250 Archons, 700 of whom come from the United States of America.
Among them are the US ambassador in Athens George Tsounis, the commander of the US Archons belonging to the Order of St. Andrew Antonis Lyberakis and the deputy governor and magistrate Theodoros Bozonelis.
Also in the Greek capital are billionaire John Catsimatidis, lobbyist Mike Manatos, mega-manufacturer George Pantelidis, former US security official Alex Pritsos, the president of the Hellenic-American Institute, Nick Laryngakis, and the president of the Greek Lawyers of New York, George Zapantis. Among the speakers is former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The spiritual advisor of the order is Father Alex Karloutsos, who inspired this international conference.
About 100 of the members of this fraternity live in Greece and are distinguished personalities of public life, such as the businessman Theodoros Angelopoulos with the highest rank of the great logothetis, the shipowner and businessman Dimitris Melissanidis, who is Archon Kouropalatis, the banker, shipowner and oil magnate Spiro Latsis, Archon Actuarios, the businessman Achilleas Konstantakopoulos, Archon Referendarios, the infectious disease specialist Sotiris Tsiodras, who was ordained in 2021 as Archon Protasicrete, the lawyer Sakis Kechagioglou, Archon Dikaiophylax, the lawyer Charalambos Apostolidis from Thessaloniki, Archon Avenger, as well as members of the Goulandris and Lemos families, while the shipowner Athanasios Martin is president of the Pammakaristos Brotherhood of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe.
