By María J. Moriarty
Seattle, Wash., Mar 25, 2025 / 12:15 pm
Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America started this year’s Greek Independence Day event at the White House by expressing gratitude to President Donald Trump for safeguarding Christian communities in the Middle East.
He presented Trump with a holy cross, drawing inspiration from Emperor Constantine’s famous vision of the cross, and referred to it as a symbol of divine guidance for the nation’s leaders.
“You remind me of the great Roman Emperor Constantine, who founded and established the magnificent city of Constantinople — my birthplace, now known as Istanbul,” the archbishop remarked.
“Let this cross serve as your guide, just as it guided Constantine,” he concluded.
