Seattle, Wash., Mar 25, 2025 / 12:15 pm
Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America kicked off this year’s Greek Independence Day event at the White House on Monday by thanking President Donald Trump for protecting Christian communities in the Middle East.
Using Emperor Constantine’s famous vision of the cross, he presented Trump with a holy cross, calling it a symbol of “divine guidance” for the nation’s leaders.
“You remind me of the great Roman Emperor Constantine, who founded and built the magnificent city of Constantinople — my birthplace, known today as Istanbul,” the archbishop said.
“Let this cross guide you as it once guided Constantine,” he added. “May it make America invincible!”
The archbishop also praised the administration’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias — a February executive order — as a big step toward religious freedom at home and abroad.
“My prayer is that this task force will help ensure the law truly protects believers, so they can practice their religion in peace.”
Trump accepted the cross and cited his executive order to end government overreach and hostility toward Christians.
“We will not tolerate the targeting or intimidation of people of faith,” he said, referencing the language that says to eliminate “any unlawful anti-Christian policies” from the previous administration. The White House directive creates a Justice Department task force to review and fix alleged anti-Christian bias.
Immediately after, Trump signed a proclamation making March 25, 2025, “Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy.”
He referenced Greece’s 1821 independence from the Ottoman Empire and how Hellenic ideals have shaped Western institutions. He also highlighted Greek Americans’ contributions to American culture, business, and public life.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Greece, was in attendance and said she looks forward to deepening the partnership between Washington and Athens. “This partnership has never been more important,” she said, “and we’re going to do even more.”
“Today, we celebrate and cherish our rich history and our enduring bond, the United States and Greece,” Guilfoyle said on Instagram.
Elpidophoros concluded by noting how the democratic roots of Greece and America both support their shared commitment to freedom. He thanked the president for having faith leaders through the White House Faith Office and said the new task force is a “real commitment to upholding America’s founding principle of religious liberty.”
“Freedom, democracy, and the inalienable right of all people to practice their faith without fear — these are values shared by both our peoples,” the archbishop said in his closing remarks.
Many lawmakers, diplomats, and Greek American leaders were in attendance. The White House’s focus on Christian communities in the Middle East draws on a growing recognition of groups such as Copts (which Trump notably posted about last year), Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Maronites, whose increasingly active voting presence has captured attention in recent elections.
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