[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 145 (Friday, October 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW OF CONSTANTINOPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 24, 1997

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to His All 
Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople who began his visit to 
the United States in Washington, DC this week. I welcome Patriarch 
Bartholomew to the United States on behalf of the Greek Orthodox 
community in the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys and look forward to 
his visit to Los Angeles in November.
  Patriarch Bartholomew, the 27th successor of the Apostle St. Andrew 
and the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians, is a man 
of extraordinary abilities and achievements who speaks seven languages. 
My colleagues and I honored His All Holiness with the award of the 
Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his contributions to world 
peace, ecumenism, and the protection of the global environment. 
Patriarch Bartholomew has met with government and religious leaders in 
the Balkans, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in efforts 
to promote peace and an interfaith dialog. His All Holiness is a 
champion of religious freedom who has fought against all forms of 
persecution.
  Patriarch Bartholomew is equally committed to the protection and 
preservation of the Earth's environment for future generations. He has 
sponsored several international conferences on the environment, 
including an upcoming summit in Santa Barbara, and has led conservation 
efforts in the Black Sea. These efforts have earned him the title, 
``the Green Patriarch.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor to have His All Holiness Patriarch 
Bartholomew visit the United States and to have the President bestow 
upon him the Congressional Gold Medal. He joins only five other 
religious leaders, including the late Mother Theresa, who have been 
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor of the U.S. 
Congress.

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