Ecumenical Hellenism program's representatives visited U.S.A.

On the occasion of the one year since the death of Archbishop Iakovos of America, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Church History Professor, Athanasios Angelopoulos along with his collaborator, London's Westminster University politics graduate Nicolas Mottas, represented the program Ecumenical Hellenism and the Institute for National and Religious Studies of Thessalonika at the first annual memorial service for the late Archbishop Iakovos which took place in Boston on April 9, 2006.

The memorial service for Archbishop Iakovos - which was followed by a parade in Central Boston honoring the Greek Independence Day - were attended by five members of the Greek parliament, the Consul General of Greece in Boston and hundreds of Greeks and Americans from Massachusetts. The memorial service, which was offered by His Eminence, the Metropolitan of Boston Methodios, was followed by a speech from Athanasios Angelopoulos dedicated to Archbishop Iakovos' memory. More specifically, Angelopoulos mentioned that "the late Archbishop was the proper and the only person who could inspire the presidents of the United States, so that this country co-celebrates along with the Greek-Americans every year, the spiritual goals of freedom and democracy, on the occasion of the historic event of the Greek revolution in 1821". Angelopoulos made also a reference to the late Metropolitan Silas of New Jersey, who died in 2000 and was a personal friend of Iakovos. Speeches were also offered by the Metropolitan of Boston as well as from Consul General of Greece.

By the opportunity of the first annual memorial service of the former Greek Orthodox leader, professor Angelopoulos and Nicolas Mottas, met with the director of Archbishop Iakovos' archives and for years personal secretary of the Archbishop, Nikie Calles, at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - as well as with Paulette Poulos, director of development of Leadership 100 and former secretary of Iakovos at the Onassis Cultural Centre - in New York City, NY, regarding the inedited correspondence of the late Archbishop on human rights and national issues; an ambitious work, which is scheduled to be published in both Greek and English, within 2006. The representatives of Ecumenical Hellenism - a program which started in 1996 and existed under the patronage of the Hellenic Republic President Constantinos Stephanopoulos and exists under the patronage of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece - had also the opportunity to meet with the current Archsbishop of America, Demetrios.