Ordination of Panos Xenokostas as a new Official Archon by the Ecumenical Patriarch

On the afternoon of Sunday, August 31, 2025, the ordination of Panos Xenokostas as an Official Archon by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew took place.

The ceremony took place at the All-Holy Patriarchal Church in the Phanar, after the Dismissal of Great Vespers for the Feast of the Indictment, and was also attended by Hierarchs of the Throne, clergy, Official Archons of the M.T.C.E., and faithful from Constantinople and abroad.

The Patriarch thanked Mr. Xenokostas for his significant contribution to the reconstruction of the Greek shipbuilding industry and by extension to the broader economic and social development, as well as to the opportunity given to the new generation to be educated and employed in the shipbuilding industry.

In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out: “It is certain that the way in which economic life is organized profoundly influences the entire course of human affairs. Sustainable economic development has inviolable conditions, which are linked to social justice and respect for the natural environment. The future not only does not belong to the so-called “market fundamentalism”, but it is certain that this constitutes a brake on the path towards a prosperous future. The great challenges of the times cannot be faced effectively on the basis of pragmatic, technocratic and economic-centric choices.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, faithful to its sacred mission, always far from ephemeral and utilitarian considerations, proclaims the need to reorient the economy, with double reference to the principles of “sound business” and economic strategies on the one hand and to respect for basic humanitarian and spiritual values, such as solidarity and justice, on the other. Man is not only homo oeconomicus and a consumer unit, but has a spiritual nature and a high destiny. He is, as Saint Gregory the Theologian writes, “knitted from both, heavenly and chthonic”, he is “a deified animal”. There is no social and ecological sustainability at the expense of spiritual and moral values. The failure to uphold these principles always has very negative consequences in all aspects and dimensions of life.”

His Holiness then emphasized: “His Holiness, brother in Christ, Archbishop of America, Mr. Elpidophoros, appreciates and praises your kindness, modesty and honor, your respect for the Church and its witness, your fidelity to ancestral traditions, your intelligence and your modern spirit.”

Concluding his speech, the Patriarch expressed his certainty that the new Archon, as a member of the Brotherhood of Officials of the Holy Great Church of Christ “Virgin Mary the Pammakaristos”, will expand his creative activities, continue his good works and prove worthy of his trust. For his part, Panos Xenokostas expressed his gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch and emphasized that his contribution to the Church, society and the homeland constitutes a sacred duty and is part of the education he received from his parents.