WASHINGTON, DC – by Petros Kasfikis, TO VIMA –
When Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stepped into the White House on Monday afternoon, the building was the same, but the country he encountered was very different from the America of his first visit nearly three decades ago.
The post-Cold War optimism that surrounded his 1997 meeting with President Bill Clinton had ebbed by the time he saw George W. Bush in 2002. By 2009, under Barack Obama, there was a mood of renewal, only to give way to the shadow of the pandemic in 2021 during his meeting with Joe Biden.
Now, Bartholomew arrived in a United States more polarized and divided than at any point in his long ministry. Just outside the West Wing, where the chief of protocol greeted him, television screens in the press room carried images from the latest debates over the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. At the same time, Vice President J.D. Vance was speaking live on a podcast, denouncing what he called “the radical left.”
From what is likely to be his final visit to the White House, the Patriarch left with mixed emotions: concern about the direction of a nation he has often described as “the greatest democracy,” but also some reassurance from the private conversation he held with President Donald Trump.
Trump’s Pledge on Halki
According to information obtained by To Vima, the most consequential outcome of the meeting was President Trump’s pledge that, should a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey take place, he would press the issue of reopening the Halki Theological Seminary, a longstanding demand of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
That prospect has repeatedly been delayed, as Ankara has pulled back from earlier signals of readiness. Yet Mr. Trump asked the Patriarch’s delegation to prepare a memorandum so that the White House would have a full account of the issue.
For the Patriarchate, the gesture was significant, reflecting not only recognition of its spiritual and historical role but also acknowledgment of its geopolitical weight.
A Warm Exchange in the Oval Office
Even as political tensions ran high outside the White House, the mood inside the Oval Office was strikingly cordial. Mr. Trump greeted Bartholomew standing, a gesture that those close to him note is not automatic, and in good humor offered coffee and light conversation that put the delegation at ease.
Several prominent Greek Americans joined the meeting, including Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Reince Priebus, the former chief of staff; and Alexandra Veletsi, White House Visitors Office Director.
Bartholomew thanked Mr. Trump for a gift sent to his hotel and, in the tradition of Phanariot diplomacy, arrived with gifts of his own: a ceramic from Nicaea commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, as well as small crosses for the president’s grandchildren, each accompanied by a personal blessing.
Ukraine and Church Independence
When told that Bartholomew had granted independence, or autocephaly, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Mr. Trump, not known for his familiarity with church affairs, responded with interest. “So, you did it,” he said, acknowledging in his own way the Patriarchate’s authority.
The exchange reflected careful preparation. Father Alex Karloutsos, a veteran of White House visits, explained apostolic succession in terms designed to resonate with Mr. Trump: continuity and power. Mr. Priebus helped steer the conversation, while Archbishop Elpidophoros of America underscored the significance of Patriarchate’s survival in Constantinople over 17 centuries despite pressure and adversity.
Vice President Vance’s Gesture
Vice President Vance stood out for his respect and knowledge. A devout Catholic, he kissed the hands of all the hierarchs, a gesture that drew notice, and spoke with familiarity not only about politics but also about the Patriarchate’s history. At one point, he reminded Mr. Trump that Constantinople and Rome remain the two great centers of Christianity. Bartholomew, in turn, offered condolences on the killing of Mr. Vance’s friend Charlie Kirk, assuring him of his prayers for Kirk’s soul.
Petros Kasfikis is an accredited correspondent covering the White House, State Department, and Capitol Hill for MEGA TV and newspaper To Vima. For the latest political developments from Washington, D.C., you can subscribe to his YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/PKas?sub_confirmation=1
