Patriarch Bartholomew awarded the Cross of St. Andrew to Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who traveled to Istanbul with Secretary General of Religious Affairs George Kalantzis.

They discussed with the Patriarch the full plan for the new organic positions for clergy of the Greek Orthodox Church approved by the Council of Ministers on 31 January 2025.

The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports said that “it is a supreme honor as recognition of the Greek Government’s decision to finally resolve the critical problem of the Clergy of the Greek Orthodox Church“.

The post by Kyriakos Pierrakakis

“The awarding of the Cross of St. Andrew, founder and patron of the Primitive Church, by His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, is a supreme honor in recognition of the Greek Government’s decision to resolve once and for all the critical problem of the Clergy of the Greek Diaspora. I thanked him warmly, pledging on behalf of the Greek Government to support, in every way, the Presbyterian Patriarchates and Ecumenical Hellenism.

Together with the Secretary General of Religious Affairs, George Kalantzis, we had the opportunity to discuss in Istanbul in detail with the Ecumenical Patriarch the complete plan for the new organic positions for the clergy of the Greek Orthodox Church, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on 31 January 2025.

We also met with the education coordinator and the principals of the schools of the Greek minority in Istanbul and discussed all the issues that concern them and the solutions we are launching.”