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Recognizing His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome

Floor Speech

Date: Aug. 26, 2025
Location: Washington, DC

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation recognizing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome.

Whereas, on September 15, we will welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome to Washington, D.C., to receive the Templeton Prize, the world's most prestigious award in Religion and Science;

Whereas, His All-Holiness is the spiritual leader and Primus inter pares (``Fast among Equals'') of Orthodox Christianity worldwide--a Church of 30 million individuals-- and is the longest-serving Archbishop of Constantinople;

Whereas, in 1997, His All-Holiness was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and declared that pollution, deforestation, and climate change, among other acts harmful to the environment, should be considered ``ecological sin'' and moral failings, as opposed to merely practical missteps;

Whereas, he has worked to guide the Orthodox Christian Church in an environmentally conscious and Godly way, helping to develop a strong community of faith, and has presided over events including the 150th anniversary of the Theological School of Halki and the 500th anniversary of the Greek Orthodox Community in Venice, among others;

Whereas, he has visited the United States during the Clinton (1997), Bush (2004), Obama (2009) and Biden (2021) administrations;

Whereas, His All-Holiness was elected in October 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, and has served for nearly 34 years;

Whereas, His All-Holiness has authored four books in English and has been invited to speak before the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, and the World Economic Forum; and

Now, therefore be it resolved, that I Robin L. Kelly, serving as a member of the House of Representatives, recognize and honor the remarkable work and accomplishments of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome.

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