ATHENS, Greece — The archbishop of the Church of Greece, Ieronymos II of Athens, told Breitbart News exclusively he is excited President Donald Trump won the election last year and believes Trump is a force for good in the world.
Ieronymos II, in the rare interview, spoke out through a translator when he sat with Breitbart News last week at his office in Athens. He said Trump’s vision on economic and cultural issues is a good vision, but also warned that Trump needs to be careful to keep the world from spiraling into war. The powerful words from a key religious leader who oversees the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens and throughout all of Greece come in the middle of Holy Week.
This year is also a rare year where Easter Sunday falls on the same day, this coming Sunday, in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
"The election of President Trump was a positive development,” the archbishop said. “I would like to tell him that we need change, such as the reforms he is trying to implement, but reforms that we can and should understand. For example, when the U.S. relationship with China shifts alongside changing economic dynamics, it could lead to opposite effects and escalation or even a war. Europe is preparing for such a negative scenario. The economy is shifting every day. Rising prices are burdening families, and life is becoming harder. My message here is that we must focus our attention on the younger generations.”
The Church of Greece, part of the broader Eastern Orthodox Church or Greek Orthodox Church, is a massive organization. Ieronymos II oversees more than 100 bishops, and more than 8,500 priests. There are more than 15 million Church of Greece members estimated in Greece and worldwide through Greece’s diaspora, and it’s a critical part of the broader international Eastern Orthodox Church network that includes much of eastern Europe and huge populations in the Middle East as well. Worldwide, there are an estimated hundreds of millions of members of the Orthodox Church—close to or possibly more than 300 million people. It is the second largest Christian communion worldwide after the Catholic Church.
Ieronymos II also said when it comes to cultural issues, such as the transgender craziness the United States is currently witnessing, that Trump is guiding the world away from the radical insanity.
“In Greece same-sex marriage hasn’t been accepted by a large portion of society,” Ieronymos II said. “We believe in human freedom, but that doesn’t mean extreme actions and demonstrations or activism that largely provokes people. We can’t and we shouldn’t force politicians to vote for something they fundamentally disagree with. All of this has shocked the average citizen in the previous years. Then Trump’s victory came and the President made it clear that there are only two genders and we noticed that many global leaders and EU leaders started to repeat the same argument.”
Overall, Ieronymos II said he commends President Trump but also urges the president to exercise caution because if things backfire then the radical left may retake power.
“In many ways, I commend him and I believe he is benefiting the world,” the archbishop continued. “But he also needs sometimes to show a little restraint. People are afraid that if things go wrong, we might return to harsh times. President Trump needs to be aware of the needs of the average person and he plays well this role. But also, I want to remind him that the Church is a force that always can offer support and strength to the people. I’ve always admired our ancestors who used to say that if we want to move fast, we must move forward slowly and steadily. I’ve been following President Trump closely, he’s very active. We do need many changes, but not rushed ones. Step by step I believe he can contribute positively to the world.”
Trump, who survived two assassination attempts last year, has discussed in recent months how he has moved closer to God since then.
“Honestly, it changed … something in me,” Trump said at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this year, describing his survival after getting shot last summer in Pennsylvania. “I feel even stronger. I believed in God, but I feel much more strongly about it; something happened.”
Ieronymos II also told Breitbart News he is seeing a huge surge of young people in Greece interested in faith and getting active in the Church. He said he and other Orthodox Church leaders have been having active discussions on how to read this movement. It’s a global phenomenon not unique to Greece as the Wall Street Journal for instance in 2023 reported on a massive surge in faith among young people back in the United States too.
“It’s true that we ourselves are wondering whether this phenomenon we’re seeing is a real increase or just a passing trend,” the archbishop told Breitbart News. “Greeks have gone through difficult times recently, and many turned to different kinds of searching. And the truth is, much of the responsibility lies with political parties and ideologies. You can see it clearly in young people, especially after they finish elementary school. Today’s youth are searching. They want a new kind of world, perhaps influenced by the various signs of the times. The real issue is whether we’re ready to respond. We need to first examine our own responsibilities. I recently had a meeting with some of my colleagues who work with the youth. We observed that there is interest, young people today have a wider horizon than we did, and they’re constantly looking for something more. But there are two main questions: what exactly are the youth searching for? Just the everyday things, the fleeting and temporary? The truth is, young people understand that material things alone don’t satisfy the human soul. So, what are we going to offer them? That’s where my role comes in, how can I connect with these young people if I myself don’t understand everything they’re going through? If I can’t embrace their concerns or if I ignore them, then I distance myself from them. That means I have to adapt in order to create true collaboration.”
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