Internal schism in the American Archdiocese: Archons' statement on UOC causes sharp conflict with Archbishop Elpidophoros

A serious internal conflict has erupted in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) between Archbishop Elpidophoros and an influential donor organization known as the Archons of the Ecumenical Throne. The crisis was caused by a scandalous statement by the Archons, in which they accused the church-wide delegation of espionage and distorted the real situation with the persecution of believers in Ukraine, which caused a sharp reaction and exposed a deep power struggle within the Archdiocese.

According to helleniscope.com, the incident began with the publication of a statement signed by the national commander of the Archons, Anthony Limberakis. The text claimed that the delegation of US Orthodox hierarchs that met with American lawmakers was a «Russian intelligence operation.» In addition, the statement accused the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of persecuting the schismatic OCU, a claim that observers called an inversion of reality.

The publication provoked an immediate and harsh reaction. Several members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States threatened to withdraw from its membership, demanding a personal apology from Archbishop Elpidophoros. Within a day, the scandalous text was removed from all official GOARCH platforms, and the Archbishop himself published an explanation. In it, he emphasized that he «will never perceive his brother hierarchs… as agents of foreign governments» and reaffirmed his support for the resolution condemning the possible use of Ukrainian laws to persecute any religious group, which was a clear reference to the persecution suffered by the canonical UOC.

Sources inside the Archdiocese claim that Archbishop Elpidophoros did not see or approve the Archons’ statement before it was published. This fact reveals a deeper problem: the disproportionate influence of wealthy donors on church policy. The Archons, who report directly to the Ecumenical Patriarch and not to the Archbishop of America, have not yet withdrawn their statement. This state of affairs allows them to act independently and even undermine the authority of the head of the local church.

The current situation is described as a «civil war» within GOARCH, where a financially influential group of individuals is trying to determine the policy of the Archdiocese, bypassing its spiritual leader. This conflict calls into question the system of governance and unity in one of the largest Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States.

As reported, the Order of the Archons of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the United States made harsh accusations against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), saying that it persecutes and attacks members of the OCU. This statement was made in response to a meeting of a delegation of US Orthodox churches with American politicians, where they discussed the plight of the canonical UOC.