Welcoming Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

Floor Speech

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Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Eastern Orthodox Church to the United States of America. Since 1991, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has served as the spiritual leader for 300 million Orthodox Christians across the world. Throughout his diakonia, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has dedicated himself to fostering inter-religious dialogue, advancing initiatives to promote understanding and tolerance amongst Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Middle East.

In addition to his commitment to religious tolerance and freedom, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has been a champion for ecological justice and the protection of the environment. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's dedication to the spiritual responsibility of environmentalism and the necessity of caring for God's creation led to him being referred to as the ``Green Patriarch.'' As a result of his efforts, the John Templeton Foundation has awarded Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with the 2025 Templeton Prize for helping ``bridge scientific and spiritual understandings of humanity's relationship with the natural world.''

It is an honor to have him visit Washington, DC, and our government officials during his trip to receive the Templeton Prize.

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