wfn.org | Archbishop Demetrios Participates in Inaugural Prayer Service

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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> Contact: PRESS OFFICE
> Stavros Papagermanos
> pressoffice@goarch.org

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS PARTICIPATES IN INAUGURAL NATIONAL PRAYER SERVICE

WASHINGTON ? Archbishop Demetrios of Americaa participated yesterday in the National Prayer Service held at the Washington National Cathedral, attended by President Barack Obama, First lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife Jill.  The National Prayer Service is a tradition dating back to the Inauguration of George Washington, and this year had a strong interfaith character embodying the themes of tolerance, unity and understanding.

Prior to the ceremony the Archbishop had the opportunity to see the President and convey to him the congratulations and best wishes of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Orthodox faithful of America.

Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Chairman of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), read during the service from the New Testament a passage from the Gospel of Matthew. (Matthew 22:36-40)
(See video from C-Span: http://www.c-span.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-14564)

On Tuesday, the Archbishop was a guest of honor at the Presidential Inauguration and attended the ceremony from the Presidential platform.

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