The highest-ranking cleric of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) on Monday championed President Donald Trump's leadership and likened him to the Roman Emperor Constantine I.

"Through your leadership, you embody the values of our Christian faith & love for the Gospel. You remind me of the great Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great," Archbishop Elpidophoros told Trump at the White House during an event to commemorate Greek Independence Day.

The characterization is notable, not just due to the comparison of Trump to an Orthodox saint, but because Elpidophoros is generally regarded as ranking among American Orthodoxy's more liberal leaders. He has spoken at both the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention.

Constantine, moreover, ranks among the most famous and noteworthy of Christian saints. Venerated as St. Emperor Constantine the Great, Equal of the Apostles, in the Orthodox Church, Constantine is credited with Christianizing the Roman Empire. 

Though the details of this process are in dispute, the traditional narrative states that Constantine received a vision of a Christian symbol (there is debate as to whether it was a cross or chi rho) prior to the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D., which he then had his soldiers paint upon their shields to ensure victory. Some accounts include the Latin text "In hoc signo vinces" or "In this sign, you conquer." Under his reign, Christianity achieved legal status, the church convened the Council of Nicaea and established the Nicene Creed that many Christians still recite to this day. His saintly status is more complicated in Roman Catholicism, though he is venerated in both that church and in the Anglican Communion.

Greek Independence Day, on March 25, marks the beginning of the Greek revolt against Ottoman rule in 1821 and overlaps with the Feast of the Annunciation.

After the event, Trump issued a statement declaring a "national day of celebration of Greek and American Democracy."

"America is inextricably tied to both ancient and modern Greece.  We are tethered by history and tradition, the struggle for self-governance, emancipation, and rebirth," Trump said. "Our Founding Fathers drew inspiration from Greek philosophers and statesmen to form the tenets of our new Republic, now enshrined in our Constitution.  Our national character has been shaped, in part, by the indelible impact of Greek influence in the arts and architecture, language and literature, and academia and military tradition."