[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 325 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 325

   Honoring the spiritual leadership of Archbishop Iakovos to Greek 
             Orthodox Christians in the Western Hemisphere.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 2005

  Mr. Fossella (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Ryan of 
Ohio, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Rangel, 
 Mr. Kuhl of New York, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Rothman, Ms. Watson, 
Mr. Frelinghuysen, Mr. Holt, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Lantos, Mr. 
   Scott of Virginia, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. McCotter) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government 
                                 Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Honoring the spiritual leadership of Archbishop Iakovos to Greek 
             Orthodox Christians in the Western Hemisphere.

Whereas Archbishop Iakovos, spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox Christians in the 
        Western Hemisphere from 1959 to 1996, passed away on April 10, 2005, at 
        the age of 93;
Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was born Demetrios Coucouzis on the Island of Imvros, 
        and he enrolled in the Ecumenical Patriarchal Theological School at 
        Halki at the age of 15;
Whereas after graduating with high honors, Demetrios Coucouzis was ordained 
        Deacon in 1934, taking the ecclesiastical name Iakovos, and five years 
        after his ordination, he received an invitation to serve as Archdeacon 
        to the late Archbishop Athenagoras, the Primate of North and South 
        America from 1949 through 1972 who later became the Ecumenical Patriarch 
        of Constantinople;
Whereas Father Iakovos was ordained to the priesthood in 1940 in Lowell, 
        Massachusetts, and he served at St. George Church in Hartford, 
        Connecticut, while teaching and serving as assistant dean of the Holy 
        Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School, which was then in Pomfret, 
        Connecticut, and is now in Brookline, Massachusetts;
Whereas in 1941, Father Iakovos was named Preacher at Holy Trinity Cathedral in 
        New York City and in the summer of 1942 he served as temporary Dean of 
        St. Nicholas Church in St. Louis, Missouri;
Whereas in 1942, he was appointed Dean of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox 
        Cathedral in Boston and remained there until 1954, and in 1945 he earned 
        a Master of Sacred Theology Degree from Harvard University;
Whereas in 1954, Father Iakovos was ordained Bishop of Melita by his spiritual 
        father and mentor, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, for whom he served 
        four years as personal representative of the Patriarchate to the World 
        Council of Churches in Geneva, during which time he was elevated to the 
        rank of Metropolitan;
Whereas on February 14, 1959, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 
        elected Metropolitan Iakovos as successor to Archbishop Michael, who 
        died July 15, 1958, as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in the 
        Americas;
Whereas when Archbishop Iakovos was enthroned April 1, 1959, at Holy Trinity 
        Cathedral in New York City, he assumed responsibility for what has grown 
        to over 550 parishes in the United States and ushered in a new era for 
        Greek Orthodoxy in America;
Whereas Archbishop Iakovos had the courage to walk hand in hand with Dr. Martin 
        Luther King, Jr., in Selma, Alabama, a historic moment for the United 
        States, which was captured on the cover of LIFE Magazine on March 26, 
        1965, and he vigorously supported the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 
        1964, exclaiming upon its passage, ``Glory to the Most High! May this 
        mark the beginning of a new age for all humankind, an era when the Word 
        of God charts and guides our lives'';
Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was deeply respected by all religious leaders in the 
        United States when he retired at the age of 85 on July 29, 1996, and his 
        37 years of service were distinguished by his leadership in furthering 
        religious unity, revitalizing Christian worship, and championing human 
        and civil rights;
Whereas Archbishop Iakovos was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of 
        Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor, which was bestowed by 
        President Jimmy Carter on June 9, 1980;
Whereas although Archbishop Iakovos was a United States citizen only since 1950, 
        he was a role model for American Greek Orthodox Christians; and
Whereas the thorough commitment of Archbishop Iakovos to the vital democracy of 
        his adopted country did not lead him to abandon the ageless values of 
        Greek culture or the spiritual and ecclesiastical roots of Greek 
        Orthodoxy in the Church of Constantinople: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the spiritual 
leadership of Archbishop Iakovos to Greek Orthodox Christians in the 
Western Hemisphere.
                                 <all>