[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 157 (Tuesday, October 27, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H11827-H11830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 WELCOMING HIS ALL HOLINESS BARTHOLOMEW, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, 
                     NEW ROME, ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 838) welcoming to the United States and to 
Washington, DC, His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of 
Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch on his upcoming trip on 
October 20, 2009, through November 6, 2009, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 838

       Welcoming to the United States and to Washington, DC, His 
     All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New 
     Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch on his upcoming trip on October 
     20, 2009, through November 6, 2009.
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the spiritual 
     leader of nearly 300,000,000 Orthodox Christians around the 
     world and millions of Orthodox Christians in the United 
     States;
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is head of the 
     largest Christian  denomination headquartered in the Muslim 
     world and convener of an ecumenical meeting which produced 
     the first condemnation by Muslim religious leaders of the 9/
     11 attack on the United States as an anti-religious act;
       Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate, located in Istanbul, 
     Turkey, is the spiritual home of the world's oldest and 
     second largest Christian church;
       Whereas within the 2,000-year-old Sacred See of the 
     Ecumenical Patriarchate, the New Testament was codified and 
     the Nicene Creed was created;
       Whereas the disappearance of the See would mean the end of 
     a crucial link between the Christian and the Muslim world 
     since the continuing presence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 
     in Turkey is a living testimony of religious co-existence 
     since 1453;
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received on his 
     first official visit to the United States in 1997, the 
     Congressional Gold Medal, presented by the United States on 
     behalf of the Congress in recognition of his outstanding and 
     enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace, 
     and was recognized by the United States in a manner reserved 
     for a very small number of world leaders;  
       Whereas  the legislation bestowing the Congressional Gold 
     Medal on  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew  had one of the 
     highest numbers of  Members of the United States House of 
     Representatives cosponsoring  it in Congressional history;  
       Whereas His All Holiness is one of the few living persons 
     to have been awarded the highest Congressional honor, the 
     Congressional Gold Medal, which has been bestowed only on the 
     most eminent individuals, such as George Washington, Winston 
     Churchill, and Pope John Paul II;
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is recognized in 
     the United States and abroad as a leader in the quest for 
     world peace, greater religious understanding, and respect for 
     the Earth's environment;
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew was selected by 
     Time Magazine as number 11 among 2008's 100 most influential 
     people in the world;

[[Page H11828]]

       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew enhanced greater 
     religious understanding by initiating a joint declaration 
     that it is man's duty to protect the earth, signed by himself 
     and Pope John Paul  II, the spiritual leaders of nearly 1 out 
     of every 5 people in the world;  
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is called ``the 
     Green Patriarch'' by leaders of the international 
     environmental community;
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received the 
     prestigious Sophie Prize of Norway for his environmental 
     work;
       Whereas the prize money was donated by His All Holiness to 
     UNICEF's fund for destitute children and for environmental 
     projects;
       Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has led  symposia 
     of international environmental leaders regarding the 
     Adriatic, Aegean, Arctic, Baltic, and Black Seas, as well as 
     the Amazon, Danube, and Mississippi Rivers, and His All 
     Holiness was honored in New York through the Scenic Hudson 
     River Initiative;
       Whereas the Religious, Science, and Environmental (RSE) 
     symposia are organized under the auspices of His All Holiness 
     Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who originally conceived 
     the movement in 1988 at a meeting of environmental and 
     religious leaders for the purpose of establishing common 
     ground on environmental issues between representatives of 
     faith communities, scientists, and environmental 
     nongovernmental organizations;
       Whereas patrons of past symposia have included Prince 
     Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Jacques Santer and Romano Prodi, 
     former Presidents of the European Commission; and Kofi Annan, 
     former United Nations Secretary-General;    
       Whereas the symposia have also reached out across different 
     faiths and denominations, revealing the wisdom of diverse 
     theological traditions, as well as a common imperative to 
     protect the natural world;
       Whereas during the 2002 Adriatic Sea Symposium, Pope John 
     Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew signed a joint declaration 
     underlining the spiritual duty of caring for God's creation 
     in the interest of future generations; and
       Whereas the outstanding accomplishments of Ecumenical 
     Patriarch Bartholomew have been formally recognized and 
     honored by numerous governmental, academic, and other 
     institutions around the world: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) welcomes to the United States and to Washington, DC, 
     His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, 
     New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch,  and recognizes the 
     importance to the United States and the world of the 
     Ecumenical Patriarch's recent environmental seminar conducted 
     on the Mississippi River with some of the world's leading 
     environment experts;
       (2) recognizes the importance to the United States and to 
     the world of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's leadership on 
     matters of environment, peace, and religion, and encourages 
     United States foreign policy makers to continue to urge 
     Turkey to grant religious freedom and property rights to the 
     Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as to reopen the theological 
     school at Halki; and
       (3) expresses its support for Ecumenical Patriarch 
     Bartholomew's noble efforts for the betterment of  humankind.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a 
leading voice in the Congress on issues concerning the Ecumenical 
Patriarch, for introducing this resolution.
  We are all pleased to welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the 
spiritual leader of nearly 300 million Orthodox Christians around the 
world, to the United States and to our Nation's Capital. Elected as the 
270th Archbishop of the historic throne of Constantinople, Ecumenical 
Patriarch Bartholomew has been a tireless advocate for religious 
freedom, Muslim-Christian dialogue and international environmental 
protection.
  Known as the Bridge Builder and the Patriarch of Peace, Ecumenical 
Patriarch Bartholomew has provided hope to those who have survived 
under Communist oppression and has also traveled throughout the Muslim 
world, advocating for religious tolerance and understanding.
  Sitting at the crossroads between East and West, the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate itself is a testament to half a millennium of Christian-
Muslim coexistence. In fact, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has 
strived to communicate his message of tolerance and understanding 
directly to millions of Muslims around the world.
  Another important theme of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's has 
been environmental protection which has earned him the title of Green 
Patriarch. It is fitting then that the Ecumenical Patriarch began his 
visit to the United States in New Orleans and convened a symposium on 
the environmental health of the Mississippi River.
  This marks the eighth environmental symposium Ecumenical Patriarch 
Bartholomew has held since 1995. In 2002, at the Adriatic Sea 
Symposium, Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew 
signed a historic joint declaration, underlining the spiritual duty of 
caring for God's creation in the interest of future generations.
  Madam Speaker, while I am pleased that we've come here today and 
expressed our strong support for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and 
his leadership on many important issues, we must also remember that the 
Patriarchate itself operates under numerous onerous restrictions 
imposed by the Government of Turkey, the country where the Patriarchate 
is located. The Patriarchate's property rights, its freedom to open 
religious schools and other issues of religious freedom must be 
properly addressed by the Turkish Government. Indeed, the very future 
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is endangered by the Turkish requirement 
that the Ecumenical Patriarch be a natural-born citizen of Turkey. As 
the Greek Orthodox population of Turkey has dwindled to less than 3,000 
persons, the pool of potential future Ecumenical Patriarchs has 
virtually dried up. This archaic requirement that the Patriarch be a 
natural-born Turkish citizen was born in the difficult post-World War I 
environment in which the modern Republic of Turkey was created. It is 
certainly unworthy of the self-confident regional power that Turkey has 
become, and we call on Turkey to end this requirement, and end it now, 
before it strangles the Patriarchate.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in welcoming His All Holiness 
Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical 
Patriarch and honoring all he has done to promote peace, religious 
understanding and the protection of our environment. I strongly support 
this resolution, and I urge all my colleagues to do likewise.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am so pleased and honored to yield 
such time as he may consume to my good friend from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis), an esteemed member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the author of this important resolution.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today with great pride to offer 
House Resolution 838, as amended, which welcomes His All Holiness 
Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical 
Patriarch, as he visits the United States. I would like to recognize 
Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen 
for working with me to move this important resolution to the House 
floor expeditiously.
  Consideration of this resolution underscores the importance and 
demonstrates Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's relevance in the world 
as a spiritual leader, the leader of nearly 300 million Orthodox 
Christians around the world and millions of Orthodox Christians right 
here in the United States.
  I was blessed to have been raised in the Greek Orthodox Church. As a 
child, I served as an altar boy in St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 
in Tarpon Springs, Florida, as do three of my sons today.
  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the 273rd successor of the 
founder of the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Andrew the Apostle. Madam 
Speaker, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew must

[[Page H11829]]

ensure that the faith in the Holy See endures. The Ecumenical 
Patriarchate is the spiritual home of the world's oldest and second-
largest Christian church located in Istanbul, Turkey.

  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has a record of reaching out and 
working for peace and reconciliation among all faiths and has fostered 
dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims. In fact, His All Holiness 
convened an ecumenical meeting which produced the first condemnation by 
Muslim leaders of the 9/11 attack on the United States as an anti-
religious act, an accomplishment that has yet to be repeated by any 
other world or religious leader. Indeed, His All Holiness was the 
second living person in U.S. history allowed to be honored in the 
United States Capitol Rotunda as a recipient of the Congressional Gold 
Medal, the highest congressional honor, previously bestowed on such 
historic figures as George Washington, Pope John Paul II and Winston 
Churchill.
  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was honored by Time magazine in its 
selection of His All Holiness as number 11 among 2008's 100 most 
influential people in the world. He has been recognized in the United 
States and abroad as a leader in the quest for world peace, greater 
religious understanding and respect for the Earth's environment.
  This resolution also recognizes the need for religious freedom and 
property rights to be granted to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as 
the need for the theological school at Halki to be reopened, both of 
which deserve our full support.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution recognizing the 
importance of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's visit to the United 
States and his work on behalf of world peace, the environment and 
religious freedom.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Space).
  Mr. SPACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
838, welcoming to the United States His All Holiness Ecumenical 
Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome. This 
visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch is a significant occasion for 
Orthodox Christians, Greek Americans and all Americans in general.
  As a Greek American and as an Orthodox Christian myself, I am humbled 
by the visit of the leader of my church who is renowned for his work on 
peace and religious understanding and tolerance around the world. 
Patriarch Bartholomew has also distinguished himself by working 
diligently to bring attention to our environment, calling his followers 
to take heed of their physical and spiritual impact on this Earth.
  All of us have been fortunate to live our lives and raise our 
families in a nation where we are free to worship and we can seek the 
spiritual guidance of our church leaders without fear. In too many 
places in the world, this is not possible.
  I would like to thank my colleague from Missouri for his reference to 
the Government of Turkey and would, by these remarks, appeal upon the 
State of Turkey to embrace a sense of religious tolerance that has, 
regrettably, been missing. As one of over 300 million who follow the 
Orthodox faith, I look to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for 
spiritual guidance and leadership, and it fills me with great pride to 
welcome His Holiness to the United States.
  I would like to thank my colleague and good friend from the State of 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for introducing this resolution, and I am 
honored to be an original cosponsor. As a member of the Orthodox 
Church, as a Greek American, as a proud Member of this Congress, I 
strongly urge support for this resolution.

                              {time}  1645

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to rise in support of this 
important resolution put forth by my good friend from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis). I thank him for his leadership.
  This resolution welcomes the Ecumenical Patriarch on his visit to the 
United States, which is coming up this November. Patriarch Bartholomew 
is the spiritual leader for over 300 million Orthodox believers around 
the world, millions of whom live right here in the United States.
  As the leader of the oldest and second largest church in the world, 
the Patriarch has been an inspirational advocate for peace and 
religious tolerance. In fact, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul 
has been an iconic symbol for religious co-existence since 1453, when 
the Muslim ruler and the Patriarch at that time signed an accord for 
the continuation of the Orthodox Church in what became a predominantly 
Muslim country.
  Today, Patriarch Bartholomew continues to reach out to leaders of 
various religious faiths to encourage dialogue and understanding. In 
fact, following the horrendous attacks on our country on September 11, 
2001, Patriarch Bartholomew convened an interfaith conference with 
representatives from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions--a 
conference that resulted in the first condemnation by Muslim leaders of 
those terrorist attacks. Patriarch Bartholomew has also been a global 
leader in efforts to protect our environment. He has sponsored symposia 
with international environmental leaders on initiatives to protect our 
clean oceans and to protect our rivers.
  Despite his many contributions and the commitment to peace and 
understanding, the Ecumenical Patriarch continues to endure 
restrictions imposed by the Turkish Government. The prohibitions on the 
Patriarchate's right to own property and its right to determine for 
itself the requirements for Patriarchal succession must end. The 
closing of the theological school in Halki must be reversed. Such 
actions restrict the religious freedom of millions of Orthodox 
believers, and they threaten the future of the Patriarchate, itself.
  I am pleased that this resolution clearly states the need for the 
lifting of these bureaucratic restrictions on the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate, and on the occasion of the Patriarch's visit to the 
United States, we again call on the Turkish Government to end them.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).
  Mr. SARBANES. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 838. It is, indeed, a 
privilege to join with my colleagues in welcoming to the United States 
and honoring His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 
Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome.
  I want to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership in 
developing this resolution.
  As Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness is the spiritual leader of 
the world's Orthodox Christians. Orthodox Christians constitute the 
second largest Christian domination in the world, numbering some 300 
million. From the Phanar, located in modern day Istanbul, the 
Ecumenical Patriarch has challenged all of us through his unparalleled 
work in interfaith dialogue to respect each other's faiths and 
cultures.
  He is a true messenger of peace and justice. Each day, the Ecumenical 
Patriarch reminds us through his good deeds and good words that we must 
reach beyond the value of material goods and look at one another as the 
brethren of a single family. The role of pastor to the world, the 
Ecumenical role of His All Holiness arises from the fact that he is the 
successor of the Apostle Andrew, who established the church in Rome's 
eastern provinces while his brother, Peter, established the church in 
Rome.
  Unfortunately, while the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul is more 
than 1,700 years in existence, today, its survival is threatened 
because of the continued denial of religious freedom and human rights 
that is perpetuated by the government of the Republic of Turkey. The 
plight of this ancient and noble religious center exemplifies the 
ongoing struggle for international religious freedom that so many 
people of so many faiths continue to endure.
  The United States must call upon its ally Turkey to restore the full 
rights of the Patriarchate, including property rights, and to reopen 
the Halki Theological Seminary.
  I am particularly drawn to the Patriarch's efforts to promote 
environmentalism. He has been called the Green Patriarch for his 
powerful

[[Page H11830]]

commitment to restoring our planet. He initiated a joint declaration 
that it is man's duty to protect the Earth, signed by himself and Pope 
John Paul--the spiritual leaders of nearly one out of every five people 
in the world.
  The moral force of his message is unassailable. Humankind must ensure 
that it exists in a world where there is fresh air to breathe, clean 
water to drink and pure soil from which to harvest our food. From the 
Phanar, the Ecumenical Patriarch has inspired millions of Christians, 
Jews, Muslims, and people of all faiths with his call upon humanity to 
honor its responsibility as a steward of the Earth's natural bounty.
  We are so privileged to have Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the 
United States and to honor him for his continuing efforts to achieve a 
more peaceful and harmonious world.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 838, a 
bill to welcome His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of 
Constantinople, to the United States and to Washington, DC.
  As the spiritual leader of nearly 300,000,000 Orthodox Christians 
around the world and millions of Orthodox Christians in the United 
States, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is recognized here and abroad 
for his leadership in the quest for world peace, for his work to 
promote responsible stewardship of the environment and for his global 
efforts to spread religious tolerance.
  In addition to receiving the 1997 Congressional Gold Medal and the 
Sophie Prize of Norway for managing to raise the environmental 
awareness of 300 million members of the Orthodox Churches, His Holiness 
was recognized in 2008 by Time Magazine as one of the world's most 
influential people. Time Magazine said His Holiness was recognized for 
his successful efforts to ``stake out a clear moral and spiritual 
vision that is dominated by his concern for the environment.''
  I am proud to stand in recognition of the pioneering efforts of His 
Holiness in linking faith to the environment, for his tireless efforts 
to promote justice and human rights and for his global spiritual 
leadership.
  I welcome His Holiness to the United States and urge my colleagues to 
join me in support of this resolution.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time 
on this important resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 838, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________