meteorologist John gaughan. ♪ Fort analysis with Mark
♪
for now. And breaking news with
sky 4.
>> It is the 3rd largest religion in the world and recently one of its
spiritual leaders chose
Jacksonville as his first.
>> That store will visit
archbishop elpida four oaks was
recently and thrown as the head
of the Greek Orthodox Church of
America news 4 Jax anchor Stacy
spoke with him during his
Jacksonville visit about
leading a traditional Church in
a modern age
and about the controversy
surrounding a Greek Orthodox
Church at New York’s ground 0.
>> Archbishops of the Greek Orthodox Church may not be widely known that they have
been a part of the fabric of
American life for generations,
the most well-known being
archbishop Yaacov those who
made the cover of Life magazine
after walking alongside Martin
Luther King junior in Selma,
Alabama in 1965.
>> The newest archbishop is up you know for us his and throw men in New
York recently may seem a bit
exotic to American eyes, but
this is a tradition of the
Orthodox Church, a Christian
denomination that traces its
roots to the apostles of Jesus.
It’s estimated there are over
270 million Eastern Orthodox
Christians in the world 3rd
only to Catholics and
Protestants.
>> So many Americans don’t know
what Orthodox Christianity as
what would you like them to
know about.
>> Arthur I would like them to
know that the off a look see is
the
church’s out prepare the
foundations of our chairs to
fall faith as it is today, it
is the place or the center of
the world where.
You see on the floor East for
the first time.
Recognized for the first time
as an official there he joined
by the state.
>> The 51 year-old archbishop
was born and raised in Turkey
speaks 6 languages and is a
monk in contrast to the
Catholic faith Orthodox priest
can get married but not if they
want to become higher are also
women cannot.
Archbishop
help you know for us takes over
the American church with one
very public matter to handle
and it has to do with this
half-finished church at the
World Trade Center site the new
church will replace this 100
year-old church that was
destroyed when the twin towers
fell during the September
11th attacks over $30 million
were donated to build a
national shrine at ground 0 a
place for people to reflect on
the tragedy.
>> In 2017 construction came to
a stop an audit concluded that over 3 and a half million dollars earmarked for the
shrine were instead used by the
archdiocese to fund a shortfall
in its operating budget.
The archdiocese has since paid
back the money with interest it
is through that too.
>> It’s not
the best IM much that we give
to the American society when
we have church
at
the site where the town’s
eateries were sacred place for
all American nation. There are
some reports with respect your
eminence that there is a
federal probe.
>> Of the archdiocese. Can you
comment on
that too.
>> It is says something that we
get out of
our control. We respect what
the authorities will decide
investigator on
this case. We will accept with
gratitude, whatever that
decision.
>> Will be when the shrine will
be completed remains to be
seen, but the archbishop says
it’s his first priority.
One on a checklist of things
will no doubt want to
accomplish in a country he says
he’s always admired United
States is a reference point for
democracy.
Human rights. >> One around the world, you don’t have that in the history,
very often.
And that’s why I’m proud of in
this country
serving as to stay C span as
Channel 4 the local station.
>> Archbishop elpida for oce
also said even though America
is a secular society,