Why did our priest from Bakırköy become a US citizen?

The government and its media are celebrating the fact that Vatican Head of State Pope Leo is making his first foreign trip to Turkey.

Those who view these developments through the lens of Turkey rather than the government see that this visit and the Iznik mass are "political." Indeed, we also explained the meaning and significance of the visit by asking, "Is the Pope's visit a blessing or a curse?"

According to most of the pro-government media, the Pope's arrival highlights Turkey's regional power... It is a multi-layered turning point that defines Turkey's role... This visit is the first concrete sign that our country has become an actor returning to the center, not only geographically but also culturally, religiously, and diplomatically...

Those who mock critics of the visit by saying, "Kara Murat against the Black Knight," clearly do not even read their own colleagues. If they did, they would see that someone from the same newspaper has also issued warnings such as, "Let us wonder what the 'globalist elite' in cooperation with the Vatican is up to. What is the plan? What kind of world is being prepared? What kind of country is Turkey to them? It is getting late to seriously address these issues."

As my journalist colleague and Korkusuz writer Mustafa Mutlu emphasized yesterday, our situation is exactly this:

"We are not fully aware of the true meanings of the visit, but unfortunately, by the time we understand the truth, it will be too late... How painful it is that there is even something we can learn from a Pope who comes to 'establish a state' in our country!"

THE TRUE HOST

What was the pro-government media most pleased about? Naturally, that he came to Turkey first and met with Erdoğan.

Yet, from the very first day, we pointed out that Pope Francis would be coming upon the official invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew. Who is Bartholomew? He is a Turkish citizen at the head of the Patriarchate, which is under the jurisdiction of the Fatih District Governorate and was permitted to remain in Turkey under the Treaty of Lausanne to oversee the religious affairs of our Greek citizens in Istanbul, Gökçeada, and Bozcaada.

The pro-government media's attempt to keep the host of the invitation out of sight bothered even Stelyo Berberakis, a journalist and Turkish citizen of Greek descent from Istanbul, so much that he felt compelled to write the following:

“There is no mention—for some reason—that Patriarch Bartholomew was the catalyst for this visit, which is extremely important for Christianity. First of all, Pope Francis is coming to Turkey at the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew... Since the Pope also holds the title of Head of State of the Vatican, an official invitation from the Presidency of Turkey was required for him to carry out his visit to Turkey. And indeed, that is exactly what happened.”

What we are saying is this: they do not care about Bartholomew extending this official invitation to a head of state, nor about him and the Pope violating the Treaty of Lausanne by using the title 'ecumenical,' speaking of an official visit to the 'Church of Constantinople,' and issuing a joint declaration, nor about what the Pope carries in his bag for the 'Ecumenical Patriarchate'!

A GREAT SIEGE FROM WITHIN AND WITHOUT

To understand the kind of siege we are facing, let us look at what has happened in the last 15 days.

Following Trump's hosting of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople at the White House last September—before he met with Erdoğan—where he listened to his complaints about Turkey and subsequently requested the reopening of the Halki Seminary during his meeting with Erdoğan, the Patriarchate has literally turned into a revolving door.

For example, on November 15, Stefanos Kasselakis, leader of the Greek SYRIZA party, who visited both the Seminary and the Patriarchate, stated that "the Halki Seminary, which has been closed for half a century, is an open wound for Orthodoxy, Hellenism, and their history," and added that this hostage situation could no longer continue, making the following pledge:

"The SYRIZA party, in cooperation with our family of European Democrats, will actively support all the demands of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, both in Greece and in Europe."

On the same day, Greek Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistocleous was also at the "Ecumenical Patriarchate." Themistocleous noted that he "found himself in a sacred place where the principles of Orthodoxy intersect with the historical journey and evolution of Hellenism."

On November 20, organized by Greek Member of the European Parliament and group co-chair Evangelos Meimarakis, the European People's Party (EPP) Working Group on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue met with "Ecumenical Patriarch" Bartholomew and invited him to the European Parliament. It was reported that Bartholomew received the EPP delegation at the "Ecumenical Patriarchate, the first see of the global Orthodox Church and the uninterrupted spiritual center of Orthodox Christianity for 17 centuries," and that while speaking about the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which the Pope will attend, Bartholomew stated that "this year holds deep significance for the Church of Constantinople." Drawing attention to the issues raised by Bartholomew, Evangelos Meimarakis said, "Among these are the reopening of the Halki Seminary, efforts to reach out to younger generations, and our search for cooperation not only with other Christian communities but also with other religions."

TOWARD A PRIESTLY STATE AT A RUNNING PACE

Patriarch Bartholomew, speaking to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini on November 23, emphasized the following in summary:

“We hope that the day of the reopening of the Halki Seminary is not far off... We envision a renewed School of Theology that will make significant contributions to Orthodoxy, the local community, Constantinople, Turkey, and the world... We are very pleased that this rightful demand of ours is supported by many important figures as well as ordinary people of every nation and faith in Turkey and internationally.”

He also emphasized that “there are still several important issues that remain unresolved, primarily the lack of recognition of the legal personality of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”

Let us continue by stating that Bartholomew’s demand for “legal personality” is nothing more than the establishment of a Patriarchate state in the middle of Istanbul.

THE COLONIAL GOVERNOR IS ON THE JOB AGAIN

Two days before the Pope’s arrival, the US Department of State announced that a delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Rigas would travel to Turkey for the 1700th anniversary celebration of the Council of Nicaea and would meet with “Ecumenical Patriarch” Bartholomew.

Yesterday, while everyone was focused on the Pope’s visit, the following occurred:

US Ambassador to Ankara and colonial governor in the guise of a Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, visited Patriarch Bartholomew. He was accompanied by priests led by Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. It was reported that the meeting addressed the steps taken toward the reopening of the Halki Seminary, which President Trump had raised during the Patriarch’s visit to the White House, and that Barrack reiterated that “Trump’s commitment to the issue is unwavering” and requested to be kept informed about developments.

HOW THEY HAD BOASTED ABOUT ELPIDOPHOROS

Let us share the statement made to the Associated Press before the arrival of Elpidophoros, the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of America, who came to Istanbul by organizing a pilgrimage under the name of a “journey to meet the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Pope of Rome” and was present at Tom Barrack’s meeting with Bartholomew. Elpidophoros, who said, “The Halki Seminary is in my heart,” stated that “a joint committee consisting of representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Turkish government has begun discussions on the reopening of the school” and that “the opening of the school is a matter of time.”

The reason we are focusing on Elpidophoros?

Before he was appointed Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of America by Bartholomew in 2019, he was the director of the closed Halki Seminary and the so-called Metropolitan of Bursa. He also played a leading role in the separation of the church in Ukraine from the Russian church.

When he was appointed to the US, our government-aligned media praised him with headlines such as: “An archbishop from Bakırköy to the US... Lambriniadis from Bakırköy has become the religious leader of American Greeks.”

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For the first time in history, a Turkish citizen has been elected to the US Archbishopric. Elpidophoros Lambriniadis, who was born in Bakırköy and completed his military service in İskenderun, will be the first Turkish citizen to hold the position of leader of all Orthodox and Greek communities in America... Turkish citizen Elpidophoros Lambriniadis officially began his duties with a magnificent ceremony held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York.”Wait, let us correct the content index mapping as requested by the prompt instructions.

In interviews he gave to our media, he emphasized the following in summary:

"We sometimes fail to realize how influential the Patriarchate in Turkey is. However, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is an institution that represents approximately 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide at the highest religious level... For the first time in history, a Turkish citizen has been elected as the Archbishop of the USA. This is very important for Turkey because the Archbishop of America is the religious leader of all Greeks in America... Its strategic importance and influence are immense. The Archbishop of America has always played a significant role in Turkey-Greece relations and Turkey-Cyprus relations. He is also the spiritual leader of all Greek institutions in America. In other words, he also has political influence. In this respect, this is a great opportunity for Turkey, because a clergyman who knows Turkey, understands Turkey, and speaks Turkish is now taking the lead of the Greek lobby in the US, and the importance of this is obvious. This situation could also contribute to relations between Turkey, the US, and Greece. For one thing, the Archdiocese in the US has a constant open line with the White House, and there is also the ease of access to the White House... Finding solutions to these problems, especially the Halki Seminary, is not very easy in either Ankara or Athens, but the possibility of finding a solution by sitting around the same table in Washington is higher. Especially if the Halki Seminary is reopened, you will see that such a development will also improve Turkey-US relations very quickly."

We have frequently written about the activities Elpidophoros has engaged in against our country since he left, despite presenting his appointment there as a "great opportunity for Turkey" and claiming that "he feels he belongs most to Istanbul": He alluded to the Pontic genocide slander... He said we were occupiers in Cyprus... He organized campaigns against the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque... At the reception held at the White House on the occasion of Greece's independence anniversary on March 25, after thanking Trump for "his support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Greece, and the Cyprus cause," he presented a "holy cross" to Trump, who "reminds one of the great Roman Emperor Constantine who founded the city of Constantinople," and said, "I pray that with this cross you bring peace to the world and make America invincible."

Let us come to the latest act of this priest, who is a citizen of the Republic of Turkey.

Six years later, on November 10th, he became a US citizen. While thanking the "great nation that bestowed upon him the honor of becoming an American citizen," he promised to "redouble the efforts of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to serve the faithful members of the wider society of these blessed lands in these turbulent times"!..

Whether it is in return for those praises of Trump, whether it is to escape the criminal complaints filed against him along with Bartholomew for violating the Treaty of Lausanne, or whether it is preparation for his appointment to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople after Bartholomew, it is unknown; but pay attention to Elpidophoros's US citizenship!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 29, 2025