[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6683-S6684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WELCOMING ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I rise today to welcome to America His 
All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 
the world's second-largest Christian Church--Orthodox Christianity--
which encompasses over 250 million faithful worldwide.
  We in Louisiana take particular pride in welcoming His All-Holiness, 
given that the very first Greek Orthodox Church in America, Holy 
Trinity Church, was established in 1864 by Greek merchants in New 
Orleans. This historic church welcomed Orthodox Christians of various 
nationalities and backgrounds. To this day, Orthodox

[[Page S6684]]

Christians throughout Louisiana who worship in churches across our 
State are held in high regard by their fellow citizens.
  We are pleased that during this visit to America, Ecumenical 
Patriarch Bartholomew will, as he has during previous trips, meet with 
our President at the White House and with the leadership of both Houses 
of Congress from both parties. We recognize that His All-Holiness is 
among the very few world leaders who commands such high-level access to 
the leadership of our Nation.
  The U.S. Congress expressed its profound respect and admiration for 
His All-Holiness in 1997 when it awarded him the Congressional Gold 
Medal, Congress' highest honor. This distinguished award has been 
bestowed upon such luminaries as George Washington and Winston 
Churchill. Remarkably, the legislation for His All-Holiness's Gold 
Medal attracted more of the Members of Congress as cosponsors than any 
other bill introduced during that entire congressional session. This 
Gold Medal also recognized the significant international and historical 
role the Ecumenical Patriarch has played throughout his lifetime. 
Historic international figures who received the Congressional Gold 
Medal immediately before and after His All-Holiness were Mother Teresa 
and Nelson Mandela.
  We also acknowledge the extraordinary historic role His All-Holiness 
has served as the longest tenured Ecumenical Patriarch in history. It 
is significant that Jesus Christ's first Apostle Andrew and his brother 
Peter each established distinct spheres of Christian influence. The 
Apostle Andrew established his ministry in the region that encompasses 
present-day Turkey, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stands as the 
269th direct successor of the Apostle Andrew. Similarly, the Apostle 
Andrew's brother the Apostle Peter traveled to what is today the 
Vatican, and Pope Leo XIV serves as the 267th successor of the Apostle 
Peter.

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