Welcoming Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. President, I rise today to welcome to Washington, DC, next week His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christianity.

His All-Holiness is a guiding light for the 300 million Orthodox Christians, including many thousands across California, from San Diego to Eureka. More than that, since ascending to his position in 1991, he has reached beyond Orthodox Christianity to be an inspiration to people of all faiths around the world suffering from religious persecution, violence, and displacement.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has fostered dialogue across the world and across religions with Christians, Muslims, and Jews. On today of all days, I note his efforts to combat international terrorism, helping lead the effort to the Brussels Declaration in December 2001 calling on leaders of all religions to condemn violence and forswear the use of religious justification for terrorism and mistreatment.

His All-Holiness is also a true champion of peace, tolerance, and defense of the environment. His coming to Washington will highlight the role that religious leaders play in pursuit of these goals and remind us to be stewards of all people and the planet before pursuing partisan and personal ends.

I congratulate His All-Holiness on the well-deserved and highly impressive honor of being awarded the 2025 Templeton Prize, which recognizes spiritual and scientific advancement. The award puts him in the company of Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, King Abdullah, Jane Goodall, and Francis Collins--men and women from all walks of life who have made contributions to understanding the universe and humanity's place within it.

In awarding the prize, the Templeton Foundation noted Bartholomew's dedication to environmental causes, for which he has earned the nickname of the ``Green Patriarch.'' The foundation said his environmental ministry is ``harnessing the power of the sciences to expand our collective understanding of humankind's place and purpose in the world'' and that ``Bartholomew has also deepened Christians' ideas of what it means to be faithful in the world today. It involves caring for all aspects of God's creation including the people around us and the natural world in which we live.''

I join American Orthodox Christians, environmentalists, and peacemakers in welcoming back to Washington and the United States His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Congress will be honored to once again host him in our Halls next week.

I urge my colleagues to listen to his message of peace, environmental stewardship, and the importance of bridging the divides between religions, nations, and all groups who spend more time on the things that divide us than those that should bring us together. We will gain from his return if we have the wisdom to listen.

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