Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem receives SYRIZA Party President, Affirms Commitment to Peace and Christian Heritage Protection

Jerusalem, 5 June 2025

His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, received on Thursday, 5 June 2025, Mr. Sokratis Famellos, President of the SYRIZA Party, accompanied by members of his delegation and the Honourable Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem, Mr. Dimitrios Angelosopoulos, at the Patriarchate.

In a spirit of fraternal joy, His Beatitude recalled that the former President of SYRIZA, Mr. Alexis Tsipras, had offered significant support to the sacred restoration of the Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre, an act that testifies to the enduring bonds between the peoples of Greece and the Holy Land, and to a shared reverence for the site of the Lord’s Resurrection. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21), His Beatitude remarked.

During the meeting, His Beatitude outlined the Patriarchate’s unwavering mission of peace, reconciliation, and pastoral care, especially in this suffering part of the world. He highlighted the vital ministry at the Holy Monastery of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza, shepherded with devotion by Archbishop Alexios of Tiberias and Father Silas. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9), His Beatitude affirmed.

Mr. Famellos conveyed his intention to propose a cross-party parliamentary initiative to promote a ceasefire in Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, and to safeguard the spiritual and historical integrity of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Sinai.

The visit concluded in warm Christian fellowship, with an exchange of gifts symbolising the mutual respect and enduring friendship between the Patriarchate and the Greek people.