According to the information obtained by my counterparts from their sources, Ankara’s main goal is to weaken the Church of Greece and expand the influence of Constantinople. And one of the main roles in this process belongs to the Metropolitan of Bursa.

The career of the hierarch is developing very rapidly. Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) was born in 1967 in Istanbul. After graduation from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1991, he studied in Germany, where in 1993 he received a master’s degree. In 1994, Elpidophoros was appointed secretary in the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. And less than in 20 years, in 2011, he was ordained the Metropolitan of Bursa and in August of that year he became dean of the Halki seminary (the issue of its reopening has provoked a 30-year debate). There is an opinion that such a rapid career growth takes place not only due to the talents of Elpidophoros. According to the information available, Turkish intelligence is interested in his promotion and has cooperated with him since the late 1990s.

For Ankara, the metropolitan is almost a perfect agent: apart Turkish, he also fluently speaks Greek and English. He is often included in various commissions participating in international inter-Orthodox events both in Turkey and abroad, which allows him to keep abreast of all relevant disputes and agreements between Orthodox authorities. In addition, often invited to joint receptions, he is a member of Greek diplomatic circles in Turkey.

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