NEW YORK, NY – GNUSA [Photos: GANP/ Dimitrios Panagos]
“My relationship with the Archons and with the Orthodox Church holds a special place in my heart,” emphasized former U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, expressing gratitude to the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate [AEP] for the “incredible honor” of receiving the 2025 Athenagoras Human Rights Award.
The prestigious Award was presented by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Archon National Commander Dr. Anthony Limberakis, during the AEP’s annual Banquet held on October 18 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City, attended by more than 600 Archons and distinguished guests.
“I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with you on so many important initiatives to advance religious freedom and human rights, both during my time as Secretary of State and out of office”, stated Pompeo adding that “the work done by the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at home and abroad to protect both the ability of your 300 million Orthodox Christians to practice their faith freely, and for all peoples to enjoy religious freedom, is truly an inspiration”.
In a message marking the occasion, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew praised Secretary Pompeo, noting that he is “recognized for his consistent advocacy for religious freedom and his steadfast support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other religious minorities during his distinguished public service”.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros also praised Secretary Pompeo’s dedication to religious freedom, stating that he “has been a leader in the struggle for human rights and guarantees of religious liberty across the globe, and he has a special love and concern for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople”.
Archon National Commander Dr. Anthony Limberakis noted -inter alia- that “throughout his long and ongoing distinguished career in Washington, Mike Pompeo has consistently labored selflessly to improve the lives of Americans and people all over the world”. He added that “he has demonstrated a heartfelt and deeply informed concern for the plight of people who have suffered for simply exercising their God-given freedom of conscience, and in particular, for the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey and persecuted religious minorities around the globe”.
In his remarks, Secretary Pompeo declared unequivocally that “from the forced closure of the Halki seminary to the refusal to grant the Church legal identity, to the profound disrespect shown to the Ecumenical Patriarch and his role as leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians, the Turkish government’s treatment of the Orthodox Church is textbook religious persecution”.
He demonstrated this conviction into action as Secretary of State: “So when I had the opportunity to meet Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul in 2020, I declined to also meet with Turkish officials in order to convey a simple message: This Church must remain independent of the state and free to worship”.
Secretary Pompeo further commended the courageous decision of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine in January 2019, saying: “The wisdom of Patriarch Bartholomew’s decision was unfortunately made even clearer by the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as the Kremlin has continued to use the Russian Orthodox Church as a spy network within Ukraine, and has cynically enlisted Patriarch Kirill to justify Putin’s war of aggression as a holy enterprise”.
Archon Mike Emanuel, Chief Washington Correspondent for Fox News, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event.
Established in 1986, the Athenagoras Human Rights Award is given in honor of Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, who served as Archbishop of the Americas for 18 years before being elected Ecumenical Patriarch in 1948.
