Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem: “We do not seek to replace states and international organizations”

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem expressed his willingness to help maintain channels of communication and strengthen the unity of the Orthodox Church amid the conflict in Ukraine, while emphasizing the exclusively spiritual role of the Patriarchate. The Primate shared details of his meeting with U .S. President Donald Trump and expressed the Church’s readiness to promote peace without interfering in politics. This was reported by the Greek publication Romfea.gr, citing his interview with the newspaper “Ta Nea.”

In his first detailed interview following his visit to the White House, His Beatitude noted that Donald Trump had shown deep interest in and concern for Christian communities in the Middle East. During a subsequent visit to Athens, the Patriarch conveyed a friendly message from the American leader to the Prime Minister of Greece. The Patriarch called Greece “a central country in the Orthodox world,” capable of serving as a reliable bridge between East and West and of sustaining the Christian presence in the region.

Commenting on the conflict in Ukraine, Patriarch Theophilos emphasized that the Patriarchate of Jerusalem does not claim a political role. “We do not seek to replace states, international organizations, or diplomatic bodies. Our role is spiritual and pastoral,” the Primate explained. Nevertheless, he expressed his readiness to offer any “modest service” to maintain dialogue and restore church unity, calling for reconciliation from the Holy City of Jerusalem.

The Primate also addressed the situation surrounding the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai in Egypt. He emphasized that the protection of the monastery must be based on absolute respect for its historical and spiritual identity, as well as on the preservation of its unique, centuries-old status quo. Any self-serving interests regarding the monastery must be completely ruled out.

In concluding his interview, Patriarch Theophilos III addressed the Greek people, especially the youth, urging them not to view the Orthodox heritage as something distant and purely historical. In his words, it is a living heritage that requires faith, service, and wisdom to preserve the presence of Orthodoxy in the Holy Land amid modern geopolitical upheavals.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that U.S. President Donald Trumpsupported the initiative to appoint Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem as a mediator in efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. It is expected that the religious leader will help establish a direct channel of communication between Moscow and Kyiv to seek ways to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict.