Patriarch Bartholomew, the leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians, said he feels “crucified” living in Turkey under a government he says would like to see his Patriarchate die out.
After a stormy public reaction, Patriarch said he used the word crucifixion figuratively. “It was supposed to mean we have problems. Such idiomatic expressions exist in all languages, and sometimes Turkey’s public figures including the Prime Minister use them,” the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said in a statement.
