Homeland-Diaspora Relations in Flux

The Ecumenical Patriarchate as a Diaspora Actor: Between the End of the Cold War and the Greek Economic Crisis

Having safeguarded its position in Istanbul, despite the sharp demographic decline of the Istanbul Greek community, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has emerged a crucial actor of the Greek diaspora. The end of the Cold War and globalization have provided important opportunities and posed significant challenges. The resurgence of the Moscow Patriarchate in Orthodox ecclesiastical affairs, Greece’s diplomatic ambitions in the late 1990s and early 2000s and the Western need to develop bridges of tolerance and mutual understanding with the Islamic world has framed the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and affected its policy towards the Greek diaspora. Working sometimes together and sometimes independently from Greek authorities, the Patriarchate has been able to operate as a focal point of diaspora activities particularly in North America. Addressing a growing audience of non-ethnic Greek Orthodox congregations coincided with the efforts to maintain a cultural bond with the second and third generation of diaspora Greeks. On the other hand, the Greek economic crisis has crucially affected aspects of the Patriarchate’s engagement with the Greek diaspora. This article aims to explore the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a key actor of the Greek diaspora. It also aims to reflect upon the ways that the recent economic crisis has influenced the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its relations with the new Greek diaspora that has emerged as a result of the economic crisis in Greece. This study will apply ethnographic content analysis methods to continuity and change in its function as a focal point of Greek diasporic activities. Research material will include primary and secondary sources in English, Greek and Turkish.

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