Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with Donald Trump at the White House, asking the former U.S. president to show greater concern for Christians in the Middle East and briefing him on Ukraine’s war and church affairs.
A 40-minute Oval Office meeting
The 40-minute discussion in the Oval Office focused largely on the plight of Christian communities in the Middle East and Ukraine. Speaking afterward, Bartholomew underlined the centuries-long presence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul despite periods of hardship.
“We have been there for 1,700 years,” he said, recalling even after the Asia Minor Catastrophe when Turkish authorities tried to expel the Patriarchate, international powers intervened to ensure its continuation.
Appeal for Christians in the Middle East
Bartholomew emphasized to Trump the urgent need to protect Christians in the Middle East — “the cradle of Christianity.” He recounted a warning from the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem five years earlier: if the Christian exodus continues, holy sites may one day become “museums.”
Ukraine and church independence
Turning to Ukraine, Bartholomew spoke of the suffering of children, the country’s tragic history under Stalin, and the devastation of today’s war. He also explained the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s decision to grant independence (autocephaly) to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and the strained ties this created with Moscow.
Halki Seminary also raised
The discussion also touched on the Theological School of Halki, long closed by Turkish authorities, which remains a point of concern for the Patriarchate.
Bartholomew noted that Trump is the sixth U.S. president he has met with, following discussions with George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. The Patriarch described his latest meeting as warm and constructive.
