Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople

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 in Athens Geoffrey Pyatt met Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios on Friday, ahead of the latter's visit to Washington this fall, stressing he felt honored to see the head of the Orthodox church.

Ushering in a new era in the relationship between Athens and the Phanar, Greek Archbishop Ieronymos and visiting Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios together attended the inauguration of a gerontology center in the town of Dilesi in Viotia, central Greece, on Thursday. Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos was also at the event. 

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

In what is seen as a hatchet-burying visit, the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios will arrive in Athens on Wednesday for talks with Greek Archbishop Ieronymos that are widely expected to usher in a new era in relations between the Church of Greece and the Phanar.

The Order of Saint Andrew congratulated Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa for his appointment as Archbishop of America in a letter published on Saturday.

The head of the Order, Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, expressed its "tremendous joy and satisfaction" for his election and pledged to support and promote his goals and programs.

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.

Metropolitan Makarios of Christoupolis has been elected Archbishop of Australia following the death in March of Stylianos.

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.

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