[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 158 (Friday, September 26, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WELCOMING HIS ALL-HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW TO 
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JEFF HURD

                              of COLORADO

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 2025

  Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome His All-
Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Washington, D.C.--the 
spiritual leader and Primus inter Pares (First among Equals) of more 
than 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. For decades. he has 
been a tireless voice for religious freedom, and as the longest serving 
Archbishop of Constantinople in two millennia of Christian history, he 
stands as a symbol of faith and resolve. His visit comes as he receives 
the distinguished Templeton Prize in New York, an honor once bestowed 
on Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Nelson 
Mandela--leaders whose lives have testified to the power of faith to 
transcend borders.
  As a Catholic, I am deeply moved by the ties between our churches. 
His All-Holiness has met with Popes across generations, working to 
strengthen bonds of unity and to advance the cause of peace. Together, 
they have spoken with one voice: to defend the weak, serve those in 
need, and pursue reconciliation among nations. Patriarch Bartholomew is 
also a leading figure in interfaith dialogue among Judaism, 
Christianity, and Islam. His presence here reminds us that faith has a 
vital role to play in protecting liberty and human dignity.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to welcome him to Washington and to thank 
him for his steadfast leadership in advancing religious freedom around 
the world.

                          ____________________