[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 158 (Friday, September 26, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING HIS ALL-HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. AYANNA PRESSLEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 2025

  Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome His All-Holiness 
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the United States of America as he 
accepts the prestigious and well-deserved Templeton Prize, one of the 
world's most prestigious awards in Religion and Science.
  On behalf of the thousands of Greek Orthodox constituents who call 
the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District home and the more than 300 
million followers worldwide, it is an honor to host the longest serving 
Archbishop of Constantinople in the Church's history and a humbling 
opportunity to say thank you for his efforts on behalf of the entire 
human family. Since being elevated to primus inter plares (first among 
equals) in 1991, he has worked tirelessly to promote religious freedom 
and human rights, foster cooperation and understanding among all people 
of faith, convene peace conferences around the globe, and call all of 
us to care for and preserve the environment we all share and will pass 
to our children and our children's children. His personal attention and 
institutional leadership to address issues that transcend borders or 
religious affiliation have led him being hailed as ``The Bridge 
Builder'', ``The Patriarch of Peace'', and the ``Green Patriarch.''
  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's words and deeds have been in 
pursuit of justice, love, and reconciliation. And his lifetime of 
service and leadership has placed him among the illustrious company of 
previous Templeton Prize honorees--The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and 
the first ever recipient, Mother Teresa.
  As His All-Holiness reminds us, ``We have it in our power either to 
increase the hurt inflicted on our world or to contribute toward its 
healing. The choice is ours.'' and each day he rises and chooses serve, 
to lead, to guide, to empower, and to divine God's grace into healing. 
And it is my humbling honor to note for the Congressional Record the 
unique gift of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's leadership and 
spiritual guidance and for his innumerable contributions to peace and 
harmony during his visit to the United States.

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