US President Donald Trump hosted Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the White House, with the pair engaging in discussions at the Oval Office that included the situation of Christians in the Middle East and an upcoming visit by Pope Leo XIV to northeast Turkey.
The pair met together on Monday 15 September and spoke for more than half an hour, as reported on the Patriarchate’s website.
During their discussions, the Ecumenical Patriarch congratulated President Trump on his initiatives and efforts to advance peace worldwide, especially in Ukraine while also addressing the situation of Christians in the Middle East.
They also spoke on the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV of Rome to Turkey to join the Ecumenical Patriarch in celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea this year.
The interaction marked the sixth US President that the Ecumenical Patriarch has met with.
President Trump expressed great interest in the Ecumenical Throne’s diverse initiatives and ministry, as well as in the lives of Christians in Turkey.
The Patriarch also offered his condolences to the President for the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and thanked him for the warm welcome and beautiful gift.
Accompanying the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Oval Office were Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, Metropolitan Maximos of Silivria, Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, director of the Patriarchal Private Office, and Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Alexander Karloutsos.
Also present at the meeting was the US Vice President JD Vance, as well as Reince Priebus, a member of the president’s advisory committee on intelligence services, and Michael Kratsios, the president’s scientific advisor.
The meeting served as one of many official engagements the Patriarch will undertake during his first visit of America in four years, his eighth tour of the country overall.
Bartholomew is scheduled to receive the Templeton Prize on 24 September in New York City, while also visiting several Orthodox parishes in respective US cities, as well as attending events in his honour hosted by the Turkish and Greek ambassadors, respectively, to the United States.
Source: Orthodox Times
