Greek Orthodox church in US gets 1st new leader in 20 years
Posted June 22, 2019 7:00 am
NEW YORK (AP) - The Greek Orthodox church of the United States has installed its first new leader in 20 years.
Archbishop Elpidophoros was enthroned Saturday in an elaborate ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City.
He is a lifelong European whose top priority is completing construction of a shrine linked to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
New York is the national headquarters for the denomination of 1.5 million members spread across the U.S.
The 20-year tenure of the previous archbishop was complicated by financial controversies related to construction of the St. Nicholas National Shrine next to the World Trade Center memorial plaza in lower Manhattan.
The new church is intended to replace a tiny Greek Orthodox church obliterated in the attacks.
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION- Left to right, Metropolitan Augoustinos of Germany, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Consul General Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General Dani Dayan, Ambassador Katerina Nafplioti Panagopoulos, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop Demetrios, Ambassador Maria Theofili, Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu and Consul General Alper Aktas, attend an interfaith gathering to welcome Archbishop Elpidophoros, the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, to New York, Friday, June 21, 2019, hosted by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Appeal of Conscience Foundation)
The Associated Press
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION- Rabbi Arthur Schneier, center, president and founder of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and senior rabbi of Park East Synagogue, and Archbishop Elpidophoros, left, the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and Metropolitan Augoustinos of Germany, right, visit Park East Synagogue, Friday, June 21, 2019, in New York, before attending an interfaith gathering of religious leaders and members of the diplomatic community held at the Synagogue's Minskoff Cultural Center. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Appeal of Conscience Foundation)
The Associated Press
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION- Left to right, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, the Most Rev. Nicholas A. DiMarzio, Metropolitan Augoustinos of Germany, John A. Catsimatidis, Rev. Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop Demetrios, Cheryl Fishbein, the Rt. Rev. Irinej Dobrijevic and Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, attend an interfaith gathering to welcome Archbishop Elpidophoros, the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, to New York, Friday, June 21, 2019, hosted by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Appeal of Conscience Foundation)
The Associated Press
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION- Rabbi Arthur Schneier, center, president and founder of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and senior rabbi of Park East Synagogue, welcomes Archbishop Elpidophoros, left, the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, to New York, Friday, June 21, 2019, joined by Archbishop Demetrios, former leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, to an interfaith gathering of religious leaders and members of the diplomatic community during a reception held at Park East Synagogue. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Appeal of Conscience Foundation)
The Associated Press
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION- Rabbi Arthur Schneier, president and founder of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and senior rabbi of Park East Synagogue, presents a silver apple to welcome Archbishop Elpidophoros, the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, to New York, Friday, June 21, 2019, at an interfaith gathering of religious leaders and members of the diplomatic community during a reception held at the Synagogue's Minskoff Cultural Center. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Appeal of Conscience Foundation)
The Associated Press
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