[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 16, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMA J. TORRES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2025

  Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome 
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to our Nation's Capital, and to honor 
him for his contributions to the Greek Orthodox community in the Inland 
Empire and beyond.
  In 1940, All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was born on an 
island called Imvros, which is located in modern-day Turkey. He 
completed his elementary and secondary education in both Imvros and 
Istanbul. For his undergraduate degree, he attended the historic 
Theological School of Halki, and for his graduate studies, he attended 
the Pontifical Oriental Institute of the Gregorian University in Rome, 
the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, and the University of Munich. He 
completed his doctoral dissertation on the topic of Canon Law.
  In 1961, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was ordained to the 
Diaconate, and in 1969, he was ordained to the Priesthood. During this 
time, he served as the Assistant Dean for the Theological School of 
Halki, then as the Personal Secretary for the late Ecumenical Patriarch 
Demetrios, before being elected as Metropolitan of Philadelphia and 
subsequently Metropolitan of Chalcedon.
  The Ecumenical Patriarch was elected in October 1991 as the 270th 
Archbishop of the 2000-year-old Orthodox Church. His office is a 
historic title dating to the sixth century--Archbishop of 
Constantinople-New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch. At 85 years old, he 
is the longest-serving Archbishop of Constantinople and leads more than 
300 million congregation members nationwide. I am proud that one of 
those congregations, Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church, is part of 
my congressional district in Upland, California.
  The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has used his influence to travel 
to every continent, where he has taken an active role in the World 
Council of Churches, addressed both the European Parliament and U.S. 
Congress, met with heads of state, and visited Orthodox churches in 
various countries. He has advanced diplomatic relations between 
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism internationally by co-sponsoring 
international peace conferences centered on racism and extremism. He 
has also supported traditionally Orthodox countries emerging from 
decades of wide-scale religious persecution, facilitated conversations 
with Muslim and Jewish leaders to promote mutual respect and religious 
tolerance, and has traveled to Muslim countries rarely visited by 
Christian leaders.
  The Ecumenical Patriarch is a champion for environmental advocacy, 
introducing environmental issues in his sermons, which has earned him 
the nickname the ``Green Patriarch.'' He has used his impact to found 
several major conventions, including a global bishop assembly that has 
met regularly since 1992, the inaugural Synaxis (assembly) of Orthodox 
Primates, the Clergy-Laity Congress, and the World Youth Conference of 
the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
  The Ecumenical Patriarch has received many awards, including the 
Congressional Gold Medal of the United States Congress in 1997, and has 
numerous honorary doctorates from institutions worldwide, including 
Georgetown University, Yale University, and several other international 
institutions.
  I warmly welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as he visits 
Washington, D.C., following his acceptance of the Templeton Prize--
honoring those who have made significant contributions in the fields of 
Religion and Science. His service to our community and beyond is worthy 
of the highest recognition.

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