File photo: Archbishop Elpidophoros at the White House, March 2023. Photo: The White House, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Archbishop Elpidophoros Casts First Vote as American Citizen

by · Greek City Times

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has cast his ballot early in the US midterm elections, voting for the first time as an American citizen and calling the vote a precious right.

The head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America shared the moment on social media. In his post, he urged all Americans to take part in the midterm elections on Tuesday 3 November.

Above all, he stressed the value of the ballot. “The ability to vote freely and without fear is a precious right which many people around the world are still denied,” he wrote.

Archbishop Elpidophoros on the right to vote

Archbishop Elpidophoros noted that voting rights in the United States were not a given. Instead, they came “through the struggles, sacrifices and courage of many generations.”

Read more: Rome Honours Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew With Honorary Doctorate 

“What they fought to secure is the right we must now fight to preserve,” he added. In other words, he presented voting as both an inheritance and a duty.

Furthermore, he called on every citizen to vote so that “we all move forward united after the results.” He asked Americans to act “with respect for one another, especially when we disagree.”

Finally, he closed his message with the words “May God bless our nation.”

From Constantinople to New York

Ioannis Lambriniadis was born on 28 November 1967 in Bakırköy (Makrohori), in Constantinople. The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected him to lead the Archdiocese on 11 May 2019. Subsequently, his enthronement in New York followed on 22 June 2019.

In 2024, he gave the opening prayer at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions. In the same way, that balance matches his call for unity across party lines this year.

Meanwhile, this month he has also prayed for Pope Leo and hosted Greek officials in New York.

Source: AMNA

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