Demetrios

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos is on Tuesday morning to meet with the new Archbishop of America Elpidophoros.

Elpidophoros was selected earlier this month to replace Demetrios who resigned at the beginning of May. 

The decision was taken by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.

US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt has congratulated the newly-elected leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Elpidophoros.

Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros has been selected as the new archbishop of America to replace Demetrios who stepped down earlier this month. The decision was taken by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.

Elpidophoros, 52, was born in Istanbul in 1967 and from August of 2011 had served as the abbot of the Monastery of Holy Trinity in Halki.

By George Gilson

Greek Orthodox Archbishop Demetrios of America assumed his position as a result of a revolt in the body of the Church and he is now stepping down largely as the result of a major financial scandal that has rocked the nearly bankrupted the Archdiocese and scandalised the flock.

The American Helleic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) has released a statement on the occasion of the retirement of Archbishop Demetrios of America.

Here's the full statement, by AHEPA Supreme President George E. Loucas:

Archbishop Demetrios of America submitted his resignation to Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios during a visit to Istanbul on Saturday.

Archbishop Demetrios of America is visiting Istanbul on Friday to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, in a meeting that could determine his future in office.
According to the Archdiocese, Demetrios will inform Vartholomeos about current affairs of the Archdiocese of America.

The tenure of Archbishop Demetrios of America has been extended, as the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos has reportedly decided not to include the issue of his removal at the next meeting of the Patriarchate's Holy Synod, according to information on Tuesday.

The Holy Synod will meet in Istanbul from Tuesday to Thursday.

With its three-day Holy Synod getting under way on Tuesday in Istanbul, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is expected to present visiting Education Minister Costas Gavroglou with its "red lines" as regards the government's proposals to relax church-state ties.

The upcoming Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is expected to accept the resignation of Archbishop Demetrios of America and, if necessary, to depose him.

The Holy Synod will meet in Istanbul from Tuesday to Thursday.