November 9- Meeting His All Holiness the Patriarch

PROTOCOL- When going to the Office of the Patriarch you ALWAYS wear the Rasso and Kalymavki. No one wears the Veil at the Patriarchate. Outside everywhere else except the office, going from one place to the other you wear Kalymavki. In Church, Rasso and Kalymavki.

Please have a seat. Your Name? From where? It won't be long.
I have a gift. Should I get it now?
Sure you have time.

I'm sweating now. A few minutes later- The door opens.

I'm ushered into the office of His All  Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. The 270th Successor of Saint Andrew the Apostle. The First Among Equals.

He comes around his desk. I bow down kiss his hand. He hugs me. "Welcome," he says. He directs me to a seat next to his desk not in front, but at the side so we can look at each other. At the same time he shows me the American flag- a gift from Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives.  He explains why I am there. For the Archimandrites in America to see and experience the Patriarchate first hand, to not be strangers to the Patriarchate, and to be the children of the Patriarchate, especially if some of us are to be made hierarchs. We get to know each other... or rather he gets to know me. Where I am from. I tell him that this is my first visit to the city and Patriarchate, that I am returning to my ancestral homeland.
I convey messages from Presbytera Mylonas and a hint of sadness comes over his face at the mention of his dear friend, Fr Efstathios.

I give him a small gift. Its a pair of glass dolphins that change color as the viewing angle changes. I explain this is a gift in honor of his environmental advocacy since I see it first hand as a scuba diver. He looks at me. Isn't it dangerous. No Panagiotate- Its beautiful under there. he proclaims my gift beautiful and places it on a table next to his desk.

I no longer feel bad for my office desk in Downey. We have something in common there.

Its a short welcome but I am invited to Lunch.

Lunch is a simple affair. There are two other Metropolitans there, Chrysostomos of Philadelphia and Iakovos of Prinkipinisson, Fr Elpidoforos, myself, and two others.  Soup, small salad, Tiropta.
Small chit chat.

How do you describe him? Approachable, low key, engaging, loving and caring.
I am fortunate to having met him. This is not to be the last encounter.