Elpidophoros says Orthodox Church preserved unity of Greek diaspora in Trump years

The Donald Trump presidency polarized the Greek diaspora in the United States, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has said, however adding that the Greek Orthodox Church helped preserve the unity of the Greek-American community during that period.

“During the tenure of former president Trump, American society became politically divided, and as a consequence the Greek Orthodox community also. There was tension between Republicans and Democrats, which actually still exists; it has not completely disappeared,” Elpidophoros said in an interview with Action24 TV.

“However, the Church brought them together. Democrats and Republicans both belonged to the same ecclesiastical committee. The Church is a paragon of unity. It never identifies with a particular political party. The Archdiocese has served this role since its establishment: it seeks to unite people, not divide them,” he said.

Asked whether the role of the Archdiocese is primarily religious or national, Elpidophoros responded that only the government in Athens has the legitimacy to deal with national issues. 

“If [the Greek government] asks the Archdiocese to contribute in any way, the Archdiocese will certainly do so, using any possible means and ways,” he said.