American Archbishop Elpidophoros changed his tune on the fly and decided to defect from the ardent support of Joe Biden to the camp of Donald Trump's friends. To do this, he demonstratively prayed for him.
The head of the Greek Archdiocese of Phanar in the USA, Archbishop Elpidophorus (Lambriniadis) prayed for presidential candidate Donald Trump and his advisers, asking for wisdom, grace and a spirit of duty for them. Archbishop Elpidophoros published the text of the prayer on his Facebook page.
“Grant Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump, his advisors and consultants wisdom, grace and the spirit of honor,” – the archbishop wrote.
He also asked the Lord that politicians would embrace the needs of all Americans, shining the light of good government on the venerable institutions of the “world's best hope” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone.
Previously, the head of the Greek Archdiocese of Phanar actively supported the current US President Joe Biden. “Americans of Greek descent have always been his (Biden’s, – ed.) most ardent supporters… I know that in the person of President Biden, our Church and Hellenism find a friend in the Oval Office.”he declared.
At the same time, Archbishop Elpidophoros, being an active supporter of the LGBT community, managed to perform the baptism of the children of two gays in the capital's suburb of Vouliagmeni without any permission from the local Metropolitan of Glyfada, as well as the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, which caused a wave of indignation among the Greek Orthodox.
Metropolitan Anthony (Avramiotis) of Glyfada said that Archbishop ElpidophoRhaving baptized the children of a same-sex couple, misled him. However, he also did not dare to speak out against the authority of the Phanariotis and the US Embassy.
Elpidophoros received the harshest response from Athonite brethren. Representatives of almost all the monasteries of Athos signed a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew with a request cancel the visit to the Holy Mountain of the head of the Phanariote Archdiocese of the USA, Archbishop Elpidophora.
In a letter published by the newspaper Εθνικού Κήρυκαrepresentatives of the Athonite monasteries, addressing Patriarch Bartholomew, in whose jurisdiction the Holy Mountain is located, write that due to the baptism of the children of a same-sex couple, performed by Archbishop Elpidophorum In Vouliagmeni, “a false impression was created about the Church’s acceptance of the sacrament of same-sex marriage, which contradicts the doctrines and teachings of the Orthodox Church.”
However, rich gifts and the intervention of the US ambassador smoothed over the “misunderstandings”, which left a certain negative mark on the relations between the Athenian Metropolis and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to which Elpidophoros belongs.
P.S. Trump will probably respond positively to this prayer, but he is unlikely to forget how Elpidophoros supported Biden. However, it is no secret that “Politicians before and after winning elections are completely different people”.
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