[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 96 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HISTORIC MEETING OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2016

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the events taking place 
on the Greek island of Crete, where Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of 
Constantinople has called a historic meeting of Orthodox Christian 
Churches.
  This meeting, known as the Holy and Great Council, is the first of 
its kind in over a millennium. The fourteen Orthodox Christian Churches 
together have over 300 million followers around the world, including 
over a million Americans. These churches are self-governing but united 
by common dogma, faith, liturgy, and moral conviction, with the 
Ecumenical Patriarch serving as the ``first among equals.''
  Three hundred and fifty leaders will attend this meeting, which is 
set to begin on Sunday and continue through June 26. They will discuss 
key issues facing Orthodox Christians, including the church's mission 
in today's world, the Orthodox diaspora, and relations with other 
Christian churches.
  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was elected in October 1991 as the 
270th Archbishop of his 2000-year-old Church. He holds numerous 
doctorates, including from Georgetown and Yale, and was awarded a Gold 
Medal by Congress in 1997.
  The Patriarch has a record of reaching out and working for peace and 
reconciliation among all faiths and has fostered dialogue among 
Christians, Jews, and Muslims. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, 
the Patriarch organized a gathering of religious leaders including 
Muslim Imams to condemn the attacks as an anti-religious act.
  Mr. Speaker, the over one million Orthodox Christians in the United 
States represent diverse backgrounds and cultures. I join them in 
celebrating this historic meeting.

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