Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations

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The Department cultivates professional relationships with faith-based organizations, academic institutions, NGOs, and coordinates ecumenical and interfaith dialogues of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and pan-Orthodox activities of the Assembly of Bishops.

On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, following the 15th Assembly meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the U....
10/08/2026

On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, following the 15th Assembly meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the U.S.A., hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate met in Pittsburgh, PA, under the presidency of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America for the Fourth Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S.A.

12 hierarchs attended the gathering, representing the various eparchies under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S.A., namely the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the American Carpatho-Russian OrthodoxDiocese of North America, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, and the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas.

In his message to the Hierarchs, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew underscored: “The development of fraternal relationships among the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate also strengthens their common contribution to the work of the Assembly of Bishops there and to broader cooperation with the other Orthodox communities throughout the country. The unity of the Church constitutes a lofty and abiding responsibility of the local Orthodox Hierarchs. For the Hierarchs of the First Throne of Orthodoxy, the guarantor of unity, this constitutes a sacred obligation and duty. Every step toward cultivating mutual trust, every common effort to address pastoral concerns, and every tangible expression of love, strengthen our witness to the world.”

🇬🇷 Μετά από την ολοκλήρωση της 15ης Συνέλευσης των Κανονικών Ορθοδόξων Επισκόπων των ΗΠΑ, οι Ιεράρχες του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου συναντήθηκαν, την Τρίτη, 6 Οκτωβρίου 2026, στο Πίτσμπουργκ της Πενσυλβάνιας, υπό την προεδρία του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπισκόπου Αμερικής κ. Ελπιδοφόρου, για τη Δ΄ Σύναξη των Ιεραρχών του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στις ΗΠΑ. Στη Σύναξη συμμετείχαν 12 ιεράρχες, εκπροσωπώντας τις εκκλησιαστικές επαρχίες που υπάγονται στη δικαιοδοσία του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στις ΗΠΑ: την Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής, την Αμερικανική Καρπαθορωσική Ορθόδοξη Επισκοπή Βορείου Αμερικής, την Ουκρανική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία των ΗΠΑ και την Αλβανική Ορθόδοξη Επισκοπή Αμερικής.

Read more at the link in the comments below. Photos courtesy of Presb. Theophani Sarigianis.

On Sunday, October 4th, the community of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Pittsburgh, PA welcomed Hierarchs from...
10/07/2026

On Sunday, October 4th, the community of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Pittsburgh, PA welcomed Hierarchs from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America for a pan-Orthodox Hierarchical concelebration of the Divine Liturgy.

Attended by more than 300 faithful from the Pittsburgh-area, the Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops, along with the following Hierarchs and clergy found at the link in the comments below.

His Grace Bishop Irinej gave the homily which highlighted our calling to love one another as Christ loves us. His Grace said, “where love is present, God will also be there present. And most certainly where God is present, there too is love, for He is love.”

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Elpidophoros conveyed the Medal of St. Theodora, the highest recognition of the Assembly of Bishops, upon Anne van den Berg for her dedicated service to Orthodox Christian unity in the United States of America. Mark Arey, the other 2026 recipient, was unable to attend in-person.

Read more at the link in the comments below. Photos courtesy of AoB/ Presb. Theophani Sarigianis & Ephemia Nicolakis

On Sunday, October 4th, the community of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Pittsburgh, PA welcomed Hierarchs from the ...
10/07/2026

On Sunday, October 4th, the community of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Pittsburgh, PA welcomed Hierarchs from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America for a reception and performances spotlighting local cultural dance troupes and choirs along with testimonies highlighting the work of the Assembly’s agencies. The Hierarchs were welcomed by Rev. Fr. Michael H. Kallaur, Presiding Priest of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, the Parish Council, and faithful.

During the reception which was hosted by the parish community, the Orthodox Volunteer Corps, in partnership with Neighborhood Resilience Project, organized a food assembly station for their backpack feeding program. The Hierarchs and faithful were entertained by performances from several dance troupes and choirs.

Read the full story at the link in the comments below. Photos courtesy of AoB/Presb. Theophani Sarigianis

Over the past week, the Ecumenical Department monitored the Open Debate of the UN General Assembly and participated in a...
09/25/2026

Over the past week, the Ecumenical Department monitored the Open Debate of the UN General Assembly and participated in a number of events around UN High-Level Week. On Monday, September 21, Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Nicolas Kazarian and Harry Parks attended the Annual World Vision Ecumenical Prayer Service for Children at the Church Center of the United Nations where Fr. Nicolas offered a prayer on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Later that evening, Harry Parks interacted with ecumenical and interfaith partners at a reception following a Mass presided by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of Pope Leo XIV.

On Tuesday, September 22, Fr. Nicolas and Harry attended a dinner hosted by the Muslim World League on the theme “AI for Everyone” along with UN officials, civil society and faith-based leaders, academics, and private sector leaders.

Finally, on Wednesday September 23, Fr. Nicolas participated as a panelist in the side event, “New Constellations: Which Actors Shape the Next International Order?”, which was hosted by the Starling Institute, the Global Fund for a New Economy, Coopération Canada, and New America at the Instituto Cervantes. Fr. Nicolas reflected on the unique authority and capacity of faith-based actors to promote dialogue in international affairs and highlighted the work of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the World Council of Churches’ Commission of the Churches on International Affairs to uphold human dignity as a foundational principle in international affairs.

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Ecumenical Department of the Greek Orthodox Ar...
09/23/2026

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Ecumenical Department of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America marked the start of the Green Church Initiative, a new ministry of the Ecumenical Department, with the celebration the Service of Great Vespers for the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment and the organization of a panel discussion on the importance of environmental stewardship on Monday, August 31, 2026 at St. Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church in New York City.

The Service of Great Vespers was celebrated Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Nicolas Kazarian, Director of the Ecumenical Department, and was followed by fellowship, dinner, and a panel discussion moderated by the Project Manager of the Green Church Initiative, Lily Talmers. The panel discussion featured three notable speakers – Dr. Chris Durante, Associate Professor in the Department of Theology at St. Peter’s University; Lily Kerhualas, a Ph.D. candidate from Fordham University; and Christina Leano, Associate Director of the Laudato Si Movement in New York.

The panelists examined the relationship between Christian faith and environmental stewardship, emphasizing the role of humanity as stewards called to care for God’s creation. The Ecumenical Department looks forward to supporting parishes in integrating environmental sustainability practices that are grounded by the environmental theology of the Orthodox Church in community life through the Green Church Initiative.

The Green Church Initiative is made possible with the generous support of the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund.

Photos by Ecumenical Department/Margaret Parks.

On Thursday, September 17, 2026, Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Nicolas Kazarian delivered remarks at the ...
09/18/2026

On Thursday, September 17, 2026, Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Nicolas Kazarian delivered remarks at the United Nations on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America during the convening of the Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech.

Fr. Nicolas, along with Harry Parks, Program Coordinator and Special Assistant, engaged with fellow interfaith and civil society partners as well as representatives from Member-States. In his remarks, Fr. Nicolas highlighted how hate speech is a primary catalyst for discrimination and violence against religious minorities and reaffirmed the commitment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to fostering a global ethos of solidarity grounded in dialogue and peace.

The Global Conference was convened by His Excellency UN Secretary-General António Guterres and was co-organized by the Kingdom of Morocco, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

As we approach the opening of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we invite you to attend the Annua...
09/02/2026

As we approach the opening of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we invite you to attend the Annual Interfaith Prayer Service for the Opening of UNGA on Thursday, September 10th, 2026 12:00pm at the Church Center for the United Nations in Tillman Chapel.

A longstanding and cherished tradition of the Church Center for the UN that is co-hosted by the Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN (CRNGO) and United Methodist Women and co-sponsored by numerous faith-based NGOs at the UN, the Annual Interfaith Prayer Service for UNGA invites us to not simply pray for peace in the world, but to pray that we may live up to our calling as peacemakers of the world.

We look forward to the blessing of your presence.

The great and auspicious occasion of America’s 250th anniversary gives us plenty of reasons to celebrate our country’s m...
08/28/2026

The great and auspicious occasion of America’s 250th anniversary gives us plenty of reasons to celebrate our country’s many proud accomplishments and milestones. It also invites us to honor the many global traditions, peoples, and stories that have crossed oceans and continents to become part of our shared American experience.

For us Greek Orthodox Christians living in America, this reflection must include an important question: How do we remain deeply rooted in our timeless faith and ancient heritage while raising future generations in this new land? For more than half a century, Ionian Village has served as an answer to this critical challenge.

🇬🇷 Η συμπλήρωση 250 χρόνων από την ανεξαρτησία των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών μάς δίνει την ευκαιρία να τιμήσουμε τα επιτεύγματα της χώρας, κάνοντας αναφορά, παράλληλα, και στους σημαντικότερους σταθμούς της ιστορικής της πορείας, ενώ την ίδια στιγμή, μας καλεί να αναλογιστούμε τις κάθε λογής παραδόσεις, τους λαούς, αλλά και τις ιστορίες των ανθρώπων που ταξίδεψαν από κάθε γωνιά του κόσμου για να συγκροτήσουν, στην νέα τους πατρίδα, ένα κοινό πολιτισμικό βίωμα. Για εμάς, τους ομογενείς της Αμερικής, η αναδρομή αυτή θέτει, συνεπώς, ένα καίριο ερώτημα: Πώς μπορούμε να παραμένουμε βαθιά ριζωμένοι στη διαχρονική πίστη και την πανάρχαια κληρονομιά μας και να μεταδώσουμε ταυτόχρονα τις αξίες τους στις επόμενες γενιές; Εδώ και περισσότερο από μισό αιώνα, το Ionian Village έρχεται να δώσει έμπρακτα, με το παράδειγμά του, τη δική του απάντηση.

Read more from the Observer and Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations's "America at 250" initiative at the link in the comments below.

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, and in observance of the Day of Prayer for the Pro...
08/28/2026

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, and in observance of the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment, established in 1989 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a Vespers Service followed by a panel discussion will take place on Monday, August 31, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church (359 West 24th Street, New York).

The evening will offer an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and conversation about our shared responsibility to care for God’s creation. We will also introduce an exciting new ministry, the Green Church Initiative, and explore how integrate more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices into our parish communities.

As we look forward to marking the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment, it is our pleasure to int...
08/26/2026

As we look forward to marking the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment, it is our pleasure to introduce you to the three wonderful panelists who will reflect how we are called to care for creation as stewards of creation: Lily Kerhulas (Fordham University), Christina Leaño (Laudato Si’ Movement), and Chris Durante (St. Peters University)!

The panel discussion will follow the celebration of Great Vespers for the Preservation of Creation on Monday, August 31st, 2026 6:30pm at Saint Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church (359 West 24th Street, New York).

This event will not only commemorate the Day of Prayer for Creation, but will also be the official launch of an exciting new ministry, the Green Church Initiative, which will support efforts to integrate more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices into our parish communities.

Join us for an evening of prayer, reflection, and conversation about our shared responsibility to care for God’s creation!

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