Archbishop Elpidophoros, the top Greek Orthodox prelate in America, praised Donald Trump and characterized his presidency, comparing him to the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. On March 24, 2025, Archbishop Elpidophoros expressed the following during a special event at the White House commemorating Greek Independence Day:
“Through your leadership, you embody the values of our Christian faith and love for the Gospel. You remind me of the great Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great (applause and cheers) … It is my great honor to present you with this holy cross. This cross is the very symbol that led this great Roman emperor to victory. As Christ revealed to him in a vision, “En Touto Nika” (Greek) told the emperor, it means, Go with this and be victorious, Mr. President. This cross is an everlasting symbol of peace and an invincible trophy, a sign of divine strength and guidance. With this cross I pray you bring peace to the world and make America invincible.” (Video).
What we are seeing in the Protestant, Catholic, and now Orthodox churches here in the United States is indeed prophetic. Comparing President Donald Trump to Emperor Constantine the Great, especially when it is said that the Roman emperor brought Christianity to prominence by uniting church and state and imposing Sunday laws, is certainly prophetic. Constantine was a Roman emperor who, while instrumental in legalizing Christianity, also merged the authority of church and state, enforcing religious observances through law.
This profoundly contradicts the United States Constitution, as the American president does have a role to play—to defend and protect the Constitution, not to be the savior of Christianity. The Constitution was designed to guarantee both the protection of religious liberty and the separation of church and state, unlike Constantine’s model. Our founding document prevents government interference in religious affairs and keeps the church from interfering in politics. By defending the Constitution—preserving free speech, religious liberty, and the rule of law—Trump can indirectly benefit both church and state, creating an environment where faith can thrive and the Church can fulfill its mission faithfully.
Emperor Constantine, on the other hand, merged political and religious power by legislating Christianity into law and elevating the Church to a position of immense wealth and power. Through the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, he legalized Christianity, entangling it with political authority. Constantine granted the Church vast landholdings, financial privileges, and political influence, making it a dominant force in the Roman Empire. He also enacted laws favoring Christianity, such as the Sunday law, which mandated rest on the first day of the week. Emperor Constantine enacted the first Sunday law in 321 AD, mandating rest on “the venerable day of the sun” across the Roman Empire, aligning civil observance with apostate Christian worship practices.
Is this a prophetic awakening that shows us where the Trump administration is headed? Are we about to witness the Church’s interrelation with the greatest political power in the world today: the US government? Constantine transformed the Church from being persecuted to establishing an alliance between Church and State and finally becoming a persecuting power for other Christian minorities. Perhaps Trump is, in fact, the next Constantine, who will mandate Christian doctrines by law and make the Church great, powerful, and persecuting once again.
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