ATHENS, Greece — The Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem Theophilos III told Breitbart News exclusively that he is encouraging world leaders of all faiths to follow the lead of American President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Israel.
Theophilos III, who spoke with Breitbart News via written questions while Breitbart News was in Greece last month, praised Trump for visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during his first term in the White House in 2017. Theophilos III also discussed his meeting this summer at the White House with President Trump, where he told Breitbart News he discussed the plight of Christians worldwide and awarded Trump the Patriarchate’s biggest honor: Grand Bearer of the Cross of the Order of Cross-Bearers of the Holy Sepulchre. This second and final piece of the interview comes after a first story that focused on Theophilos III’s efforts to help achieve peace in Ukraine—he is planning meetings with both President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, which comes after Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner just visited both—and end the war between two predominantly Orthodox countries, Russia and Ukraine.
“It was a great honour to meet with President Trump in the White House,” Theophilos III told Breitbart News. “This, of course, was not our first time meeting one another. I had the privilege of welcoming and receiving him to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 2017 during his first term. His visit to the Holy Sepulchre underscored his commitment to the hope we, as Christians, find in the resurrection. It was a profound visit. In the White House, we discussed the challenges facing Christians in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East, the importance of the Status Quo and free access to the holy sites, and the importance of religious leadership in maintaining dialogue, protecting vulnerable communities, and preserving channels of communication between nations and people. In President Trump I saw a man deeply committed to the protection of Christians around the world. It was for this reason that I conferred upon him the Patriarchate’s highest honour: Grand Bearer of the Cross of the Order of Cross-Bearers of the Holy Sepulchre. He is a worthy recipient. Since his first term, President Trump has been a great advocate for International Religious Freedom, and I pray he will continue to work around the world so that all may worship freely in dignity and safely. When people can worship freely, they can flourish as the people God created them to be. As the leader of a great nation founded on religious liberty, this is a profound and vital role for the President of the United States to a world mired by increasing intolerance and religious persecution.”
Theophilos III also praised Vance for visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre last year in the fall, when Vance was in Israel for peace talks in October 2025.
“This was a very important visit, and I was most grateful to receive the Vice President,” Theophilos III told Breitbart News. “When any political or religious leader visits Jerusalem, I request respectfully that they visit us in the Holy Sepulchre. It is the heartbeat of our faith – the place of crucifixion and resurrection. By setting foot in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, not only does one feel the final hours of Christ’s earthy life, through touching the Anointing Stone, praying at Calvary, or within the tomb of Christ, but one witnesses our various churches worshiping alongside one another, in a sacred harmony unique only to the Holy Sepulchre. The Holy Sepulchre is open to all. They see our ministry of welcome of all people – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, tourist, pilgrim.”
Theophilos III said when asked to describe the importance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that it is a location that “embraces many holy sites” of Christianity, which he said is a “Fatih of resurrection and hope” and that these holy sites are a “living witness of resurrection and an active place of pilgrimage for Christians from around the world.”
“To those who are unfamiliar, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is not one site; it embraces many holy sites. It includes the Holy Deposition from the Cross, the rock where the body of Christ was anointed on after it was brought down from the cross,” Theophilos III told Breitbart News. “Above there we have Golgotha, the rock where Christ was crucified. There is also the site of the prison of Christ as well as the site where Saint Helena found the Cross. And the church is built around the Edicule, which houses the tomb of Christ and where he was buried and from which he was raised from the dead. The building is shared by many churches, with many other chapels throughout. It is the most sacred site for Christianity. We are a faith of resurrection and hope, and that comes from what happened in the Holy Sepulchre nearly 2,000 years ago. But, I must emphasize, the Holy Sepulchre is not just a place of historical memory. It is a living witness of resurrection and an active place of pilgrimage for Christians from around the world. On Holy Saturday, the Holy Fire, which miraculously comes down from Heaven, is sent around the world, reminding all people of the gift of the resurrection. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also the heartbeat of a community of people who call the Holy Land our home. Christians have lived in this land since the time of Christ, maintaining holy sites and faithfully worshipping God. When you come to Jerusalem, they will welcome you into their guest houses and restaurants. They will help you choose icons to take home and select candles to burn as you pray for loved ones. No church is just a building, but rather it is the living spiritual home of a living community of faith – men, women and children. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the spiritual home for many Christians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land more widely, as it is also a place of spiritual renewal for Christians around the world.”
Theophilos III also told Breitbart News that Christians worldwide continue to suffer persecution, and voices in power both in the United States and around the world have to continue to speak out to protect them. He said that Trump and the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, are two examples of world leaders who regularly defend Christians facing persecution.
“We must not grow weary in listening to the voices of Christians who have faced or who continue to face persecution. Those in power in the United States and in the international community at large must elevate the voices of those who suffer for their faith. If you are unable to speak with them directly, find the leaders and charities who can speak on their behalf. Advocate for them so that they may live and worship in peace. Hold the governments and authorities that limit their worship and persecute them to account,” Theophilos III said. “In Jerusalem, we have a wonderful example of leaders lending their voices in support of our community. We find this in President Trump, but also in His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, who acts as custodian of the holy places. In this role, His Majesty uses his platform and influence to ensure Christians can access their holy places freely. We must never cease praying for those who worship in fear. Their courage and faithfulness are an encouragement to me and should be to all Christians, and in turn it is our duty to keep them at the forefront of our hearts and minds.”