BOSTON – According to an official News Release issued by the Archdiocese on Wednesday, May 1, Archbishop Demetrios of America is scheduled to travel to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople on May 2 in order to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Specifically, the News Release says the following: “His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, accompanied by Archdeacon Panteleimon Papadopoulos, will travel to the Phanar (Istanbul, Turkey) tomorrow May 2, 2019 where he will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in order to inform His-All Holiness about current affairs of the Holy Archdiocese of America. His Eminence will return on Saturday, May 4.”
The National Herald has learned that Archbishop Demetrios requested the meeting with the Patriarch. Since the Patriarch will be returning to Constantinople from Krakovia on Friday night, he will grant an audience to Archbishop Demetrios on Saturday, May 4.
Sources knowledgeable about the ecclesiastical issues told TNH that there are two potential reasons for the Archbishopric trip to Constantinople: the first is for Archbishop Demetrios to submit his resignation as it was agreed with Patriarch Bartholomew in November of 2018 in Geneva, and the second is to request from Patriarch Bartholomew a new extension, which will be the fourth one, to stay on his Archbishopric Throne of America.
TNH was informed that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew appears to be annoyed with the Archbishop’s motion to travel to the Phanar because the agreement was for Archbishop Demetrios to submit his resignation immediately after Pascha.
The next meeting of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate is scheduled from May 9 to 11.
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