He did not need special recommendations for the Patriarch of Jerusalem. He remembered him from his visit in 2017 to the Church of the Resurrection, when Theophilos III had welcomed him to Jerusalem. This memory gave the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, a more personal tone from the start.
For the second time in a few months, the Oval Office became Trump’s point of contact with the Orthodox East. After the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, it was the turn of the Patriarch of Jerusalem to cross the threshold of the White House.
The jokes and the relaxed atmosphere
Trump appeared relaxed and in the mood for jokes. At one point he asked Patriarch Theophilos if he knows the Ecumenical Patriarch, referring with warm words to the meeting he had with him a few months ago in the same office.
“Do you like the Oval Office?” he reportedly asked his interlocutors at another point, attempting to keep the atmosphere intimate before the conversation turned to the more difficult.
The background to the pressures on the Middle East
However, behind the compliments and the awarding of the honorary distinction, the message of the Patriarch of Jerusalem was clear. Christian communities in the Middle East are under increasing pressure and their protection cannot be low on Washington’s agenda.
Patriarch Theophilos raised with the American president the need to protect the Christian presence in the Holy Land, free access to pilgrimages and freedom of worship for all. He spoke not only of Jerusalem, but also of communities facing political instability, economic pressure and the consequences of conflict throughout the Middle East.
According to “Vima” information, Trump did not limit himself to formal reports. He asked specific questions about the situation on the ground and asked to hear if the US government’s initiatives have a practical effect on Christians in the region.
Also present in the Oval Office was Masad Boulos, adviser to the president on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, who is an Orthodox Christian of Lebanese origin. His presence mattered, as the debate over Middle Eastern Christians touches directly on American policy in the region, from Gaza to Lebanon and Syria.
The medallion and the pilgrimage file
During the meeting, the Patriarch of Jerusalem awarded Donald Trump the honor of “Grand Crusader” of the Order of the Crusaders of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the highest honors of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The award had its own symbolism, but the visit was not limited there. According to information, issues concerning the patriarchal property and pilgrimages were also raised. Patriarch Theophilos did not focus on a single case, but described the overall context of the challenges facing the Patriarchate where it has a historical presence and responsibility.
Of course, the issue of the Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai is also part of this context, after the judicial developments in Egypt that caused concern in Athens and the Orthodox world. Sources in Washington state to “Vima” that the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael Rigas, is actively monitoring the issue and has been involved in the related discussions.
A message of survival in a fragile geography
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been moving for centuries in one of the most sensitive religious geographies of the Middle East. The Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, pilgrimages, communities and church property make up a centuries-old presence in a region where instability tests the most vulnerable minorities daily.
This was also the message conveyed by Patriarch Theophilos to the White House. The fate of the Christians of the Middle East is not only decided in the major diplomatic initiatives. It is also judged on the daily ability to remain in their place, keep their pilgrimages open and practice their faith without fear.
