October 26, 2021
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear Friends, Members of the Press,
We have just now concluded a warm and productive meeting with President Biden, and we express our gratitude to him for his gracious and truly fraternal welcome.
In the course of our conversation, we touched on many issues that pertain to the peace of the world and the hope for increased environmental justice on this single planet that we all share. We note with appreciation the President’s commitment to environmental responsibility and his willingness to lead the way. We have supported these efforts for the entirety of our thirty-year Patriarchy, and we shall continue to do so.
We expressed to the President our concerns for global stability, and role that constructive and positive religious movements can bring. He thanked us for our decades-long efforts.
Our efforts for promoting Christian unity and interfaith understanding and cooperation have but one principle – dialogue. We consider dialogue as the most effective means to address any challenge of the present or the future.
We have a responsibility to lead the Local Autocephalous Churches as an elder brother of one family. This sense of family is intrinsically Orthodox, and we cannot allow any shortsighted political agendas to interfere with our relationships that are through and in Christ Jesus the Lord and Savior of the world.
Therefore, we express our abundant satisfaction with the meeting with President Biden today. He is a man of faith and man of vision, and we know that he will offer to this wonderful country and to the world, the best leadership and direction within his considerable powers.
Thank you.