[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7301-H7302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING USE OF CAPITOL ROTUNDA TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO 
             RECEIVE HIS ALL HOLINESS PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 134) authorizing the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol to allow Members of Congress to greet and 
receive His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 134

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the rotunda of the Capitol is authorized to 
     be used on October 21, 1997, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon 
     for a ceremony to allow Members of Congress to greet and 
     receive His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, the 270th 
     Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Physical preparations 
     for the conduct of the ceremony shall be carried out in 
     accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed by the 
     Architect of the Capitol.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio [Mr. Ney] and the gentlewoman from Michigan [Ms. Kilpatrick] each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney].
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This resolution provides for the use of the rotunda on October 21, 
1997, for a ceremony to allow Members of Congress to greet and receive 
His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, the 270th Ecumenical Patriarch 
of Constantinople.
  At the request of the resolution's sponsor, the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Bilirakis], the resolution has been amended to change the 
time of the ceremony from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Ney] and concur with his resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis].
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney] 
for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 134. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation authorizes the 
use of the Capitol rotunda for a ceremony where Members of Congress may 
receive His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the 
Archbishop of Constantinople and new Rome.
  The Ecumenical Patriarch occupies the foremost position among the 
National Autocephalos Orthodox Churches worldwide and has the 
responsibility to coordinate the affairs of the Russian, Eastern 
Europe, Middle and Far Eastern churches. He is the spiritual leader of 
nearly 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, including 
approximately 5 million people in the United States.
  It is important that Members of Congress, as leaders of a nation that 
was built on religious freedom and tolerance, have an opportunity to 
receive and honor one of the world's preeminent religious leaders. 
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew not only promotes peace and religious 
understanding throughout the world, but he is also profoundly committed 
to preserving and protecting the environment. In fact, he has sponsored 
a conference on the environment at the Theological School of Halki. 
Today, as the 270th successor to Apostle Andrew, His All Holiness 
continues his efforts on behalf of religious freedom and human rights.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Speaker Gingrich; the 
gentleman from California Mr. Thomas, chairman of the Committee on 
House Oversight, the gentleman from Connecticut Mr. Gejdenson, the 
ranking member, and the gentleman from Texas Mr. Armey, the majority 
leader, for their efforts toward bringing this resolution to the floor 
of the House of Representatives.
  I also want to express certainly my appreciation to the members of 
the Hellenic Caucus for their support of this resolution as well as 
H.R. 2248, the recommendation to award the Patriarch with a 
Congressional Gold Medal.
  In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this most bipartisan 
legislation.
  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume 
to the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr. Capps].
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan [Ms. 
Kilpatrick] for yielding me the time.
  I do want to thank the sponsors of this resolution, the gentleman 
from California [Mr. Thomas], the gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. 
Gejdenson], the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis], the Hellenic 
Caucus and everyone involved. It is a very timely resolution, and I 
want to give all my support to it.
  The Patriarch of Constantinople is one of the world's leading 
religious figures. He is a man of great intellect, a man of great 
compassion, and he represents a religious tradition of incomparable 
majesty. I think that is the only way to describe it.
  The Orthodox tradition that he represents is a religious tradition of 
spiritual validity which combines aesthetic consonance with ancient 
wisdom. We will bestow the honor on him in allowing him to use the 
rotunda of the Capitol. But actually, we are the ones who are being 
honored by his presence here.
  I am also very happy to say that he will visit my hometown, my city 
in the 22d District of California, Santa Barbara, this October for a 
conference on the environment. He knows spirituality. He knows 
environmental concerns. He has a very, very keen sense of the 
geopolitical dynamics of our world today.
  So I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution, and I would like to 
congratulate the authors of the resolution on a very fine resolution.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney] 
for yielding me the time.

[[Page H7302]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution authorizing 
use of the rotunda of the Capitol for Members to greet and receive His 
All Holiness Bartholomew, Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church. I 
commend the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis] for introducing this 
measure which I was pleased to cosponsor, along with many of our 
colleagues.
  We rarely have the occasion to receive individuals of such high 
character and moral standing as His All Holiness; and when we receive 
them, we should do so in a manner befitting their rank and title.
  Accordingly, I believe reserving the rotunda on the morning of 
October 21, 1997, for this occasion is highly appropriate, and it is 
hoped that all of our Members will avail themselves of the opportunity 
to greet and receive the Patriarch, who is one the world's great 
spiritual leaders and the 270th Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. 
He is also a great environmental leader.
  His All Holiness is a man of peace who has worked tirelessly to 
bridge the differences that have sometimes troubled relations between 
our two friends and NATO allies, Turkey and Greece. As the head of the 
Orthodox denomination which has close to 300 million congregants 
worldwide, including millions in North and South America, His All 
Holiness is looked to for guidance as the principal spiritual leader by 
many of our fellow citizens.
  Accordingly, I urge our colleagues to approve this resolution 
permitting the use of the rotunda for this important legislation.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pappas].
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney] 
for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 
134, which was introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Florida 
[Mr. Bilirakis], a national leader in the effort to raise awareness of 
issues of concern to the Greek American community and the Orthodox 
religion.
  Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 134 would allow the use of 
the Capitol rotunda for a ceremony where Members of Congress could 
greet and receive His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew. Patriarch 
Bartholomew is leader to over 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide 
and many millions here in the United States, a religious leader who 
resides in Istanbul, once referred to as Constantinople, at the 
ecumenical patriarchade under some very difficult conditions at times.

                              {time}  1345

  Patriarch Bartholomew's visit comes only a few months after the visit 
of the late Mother Teresa. Having participated in Mother Teresa's 
visit, I was moved by her presence and felt blessed to be in 
attendance. It was an honor to meet someone who has done so much to 
advance the cause of Christ and to ``love even the least of these.''
  Patriarch Bartholomew is similarly a person who is outspoken in his 
views. He believes in protection of religious freedoms, combating human 
rights abuses and protecting the vulnerable, born and unborn. As the 
270th successor to the Apostle Andrew, His All Holiness Patriarch 
Bartholomew has been very active in seeking spiritual renewal within 
the Orthodox Church as well as opening lines of communication between 
all Christian denominations and other religions.
  As such, I am very proud to join with my colleagues in supporting 
this resolution to make available the Capitol Rotunda to this religious 
leader who has opened up so many hearts and souls to the good mission 
of the Orthodox Church. I look forward to his visit next month and urge 
all my colleagues to participate in his visit. Many of us are excited 
about this visit as are many of my constituents.
  Again, I would like to commend the gentleman from Florida [Mr. 
Bilirakis] on all his hard work to move this matter forward as well as 
this Congress for considering this important resolution.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 134 which, as you know, would authorize the use of the 
Capitol rotunda for an address by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch 
Bartholomew. Earlier in the year, I signed a letter to Speaker Gingrich 
with over 40 other members of the Hellenic Caucus requesting that the 
Patriarch have the opportunity to address Congress during his October 
visit. I consequently signed on as a cosponsor of House Concurrent 
Resolution 134 when it was introduced just a few months ago and am 
naturally very pleased to see this bill on the floor today.
  On a related front, I hope to see H.R. 2248, another bill concerning 
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, on the floor soon. 
This bill would authorize the President to present a Congressional Gold 
Medal to the Patriarchate--an honor from this body that I believe he 
richly deserves.
  Mr. Speaker, His All Holiness Bartholomew is one of the world's most 
important religious leaders. As the Archbishop of Constantinople and 
New Rome, he is the 270th successor of the almost 2,000-year-old 
Christian Center founded by Apostle Andrew. In this capacity he serves 
as the spiritual leader of some 300 million people worldwide. He is 
also one of the world's most outspoken champions for religious freedom 
and human rights.
  In a recent interview with Time magazine Patriarchate Bartholomew 
provided some insight on the direction he wants to steer the Orthodox 
Church. ``The Ecumenical Patriarchate,'' he said ``wishes to remain 
only a church, one which is free and respected by everybody. We have 
lived side by side with Muslims and Jews, and we have developed 
trusting relationships with both. It is our belief that Orthodox 
Christians have a special responsibility to East-West rapproachment.''
  These are, of course, the types of sentiments that are surely going 
to be reiterated by Patriarch Bartholomew, and well received by 
Congress, in October. Indeed, I know many of my colleagues are well 
aware of the struggles the Eastern Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul 
has had in exercising its faith free of persecution from the Turkish 
Government. To date, Patriarch Bartholomew has had no success in 
persuading the Turkish Government to reopen the Orthodox Church's 
theological school on Halki. The school was closed by the Turkish 
Government 25 years ago. It's closure, Mr. Speaker, has prevented the 
church from preparing new generations of religious leaders.
  I am proud to have joined with many of my colleagues in the 104th and 
105th Congresses in support of legislation calling on the 
administration to use its influence with the Turkish Government to help 
secure religious freedom for Orthodox Christians in Turkey. To that 
end, I very much look forward to Patriarch Bartholomew's visit and to 
working with him to pursue religious freedom in Turkey and across the 
world. I think it is extremely appropriate to make our Capitol 
available for this purpose and urge all my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney] that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent 
Resolution 134, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule I, and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________