Robert Amsterdam criticized the work of Archbishop Elpidophorus for politicizing religious intolerance

International human rights activist Robert Amsterdam criticized the activities of Archbishop Elpidophoros, head of the Archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the United States, for his attempts to block the dissemination of information about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Washington. In a statement on social network X Amsterdam expressed outrage that representatives of the Phanar, instead of fulfilling a spiritual mission, are engaged in political intrigue aimed at supporting the persecution of believers.

The occasion for the criticism was the disclosure of a secret letter from Archbishop Elpidophoros to Patriarch Bartholomew, in which he reported in detail on his efforts to oppose the Orthodox delegation to the United States. In the document, the hierarch admitted that he had made significant efforts to disrupt meetings between defenders of the UOC and American politicians and White House representatives. In addition, he reported on attempts to discredit Orthodox activists by labeling them as “pro-Russian agents.”

“Men of God are playing politics in support of religious intolerance!” – this is how Amsterdam characterized the actions of the hierarch and clerics of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The human rights activist emphasized that such actions contradict the spiritual mission of the Church and contribute to incitement of religious discord.

Recall, earlier we reported that in the Orthodox environment of the United States is a serious scandal associated with the actions of the local hierarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis), aimed at neutralizing efforts to protect the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The editorial office of the Union of Orthodox Journalists of the United States received a letter that Archbishop Elpidophoros wrote to Patriarch Bartholomew in November 2025. In it, the head of the American Archdiocese of the Phanar expressed concern about the activities of the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco and the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America (UOJA) in connection with the situation around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). In the letter, the hierarch of the Phanar outlined his point of view on the actions that the above organizations are taking in the U.S. government to bring to light the real state of affairs in Ukrainian Orthodoxy.