Foundation News Archon Athanasios and Marina Martinos: Be Doers Of The Word, Not Hearers Only
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s message of peace and love has made him respected worldwide,” said Archon Athanasios Martinos, President of the Pammakaristos Brotherhood of Archons in Europe. “All Orthodox turn to him for hope.”
On May 29, 2024, at the 1st Summit of Global Archons in the Old Parliament House at the National Historical Museum in Athens, Greece, Archon Martinos demonstrated how firmly he believes in the importance of His All-Holiness’ global mission: he donated $300,000 to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation (EPBF).
Archon Martinos explained that “His All-Holiness’ granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, which had previously suffered under the repression of the Soviet Union, has increased the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s influence and honor worldwide.” He added that Constantinople “stands at a crossroads of cultures and religions,” and thus the Ecumenical Patriarchate is uniquely situated to provide a beneficial worldwide influence.
With his generous donation, Archon Martinos showed his view of the cardinal importance of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation, and his indefatigable commitment to ensuring that His All-Holiness will be able to continue to fulfill his worldwide spiritual mission in perpetuity.
Archon Martinos, a devoted son of our Holy Mother Church of Constantinople, is not only an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, but also of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. He and his beloved wife Marina have served the Church tirelessly in numerous capacities, including a four-year tenure as the civil administrator of the monastic community of Mount Athos, from 2019 to 2023.
“How blessed we are,” Archon Martinos stated, “with the leadership of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the longest-serving and most consequential Ecumenical Patriarch in the history of the Church.” Along with his donation to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation, Archon Martinos has given generously in order to maintain and restore the Orthodox Christian presence in Constantinople.
“How blessed we are with the leadership of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew”
Archon Martinos collaborated with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the renovation of the buildings of the Halki Theological School, the school of the Ecumenical Patriarchate that has been forcibly closed by the Turkish government since 1971. Archon Martinos paid for the renovation work. At the same time, he undertook the renovation of the Galata Urban School and the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Tenedos.
These labors may soon bear fruit. In September 2024, His All-Holiness stated that “the efforts to reopen the [Halki] School are advancing rapidly,” and added: “We believe we are on the verge of reopening our school, always with the grace of God.” Should this come to pass, it will be due in great part to the work of Archon Athanasios and Marina Martinos.
In addition to his selfless labors for God’s holy Church, Archon Martinos is one of the leading shipowners in Greece and around the world. He is currently the Managing Director and main shareholder Athens, Greece of Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited, a company offering seaborne transportation services to the energy, industrial and agricultural sectors, with over 40 years of operation.
“Be doers of the word, not hearers only,” St. James tells us (James 1:22). In his service to both the Church and the world, Archon Athanasios Martinos embodies that spirit, and the true spirit of the Archon.
