More than two dozen members of Congress this week paid tribute to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, entering statements into the Congressional Record that praised his spiritual leadership, his defense of human rights and his commitment to peace and environmental responsibility.
The remarks, made by 23 representatives and five senators, coincided with the Patriarch’s visit to Washington and New York, where he is also being honored with the Templeton Prize.
Congressional Praise
Representative Dan Goldman, Democrat of New York, led the expressions of admiration, noting that his district includes one of the largest Greek American communities in the country. “We are deeply honored to have His All-Holiness visiting our country, our Nation’s capital, and New York, home to a vibrant Orthodox community, including the largest Greek, Ukrainian, and Romanian populations in the United States,” Mr. Goldman said.
He underscored the symbolic weight of the Templeton Prize, which has previously gone to figures such as Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “He joins that distinguished company, not only as a spiritual figure but as a tireless advocate for interfaith dialogue, peace, and human dignity,” Mr. Goldman said.
Mr. Goldman also highlighted Bartholomew’s position on Russia’s war in Ukraine. “Ukraine’s sovereignty is not up for debate, nor can it be negotiated under the guise of diplomacy,” he said, adding that any future peace must include Ukraine “as an equal participant.”
Advocacy Beyond Borders
Representative Gus Bilirakis, Republican of Florida and co-chair of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, described Bartholomew as “a great spiritual leader, but he is also an unparalleled ambassador for peace, interfaith dialogue, and religious freedom.” He said the Patriarch’s legacy could be summed up in “three words: faith, peace, and endurance.”
Mr. Bilirakis drew attention to the plight of Christian minorities in Turkey. “In the last hundred years, the Turkish state has systemically exploited its Christian communities, unfortunately, reducing them from 20 percent of the population to a mere 2 percent,” he said. He urged Congress to press Turkey to recognize the patriarch’s universal title and to reopen the Theological School at Halki.
Environmental Ethical Voice
Representative Dina Titus, Democrat of Nevada focused in her remarks on the Patriarch’s environmental teachings, noting that his reputation as “the Green Patriarch” is well earned. She cited his early statement after ascending to the patriarchal office in 1991: “crime against the natural world is a sin.”
Titus further quoted him: “Human beings and the environment, … compose a seamless garment of existence, a multicolored cloth, which we believe to be woven in its entirety by God.” And of his insistence that the world is “God’s gift of love to us, and we must return his love by protecting it and all that is in it.”
Wider Significance
Bartholomew’s visit, and the congressional tributes, come at a moment when international norms around religious freedom, climate action and geopolitical sovereignty are under strain. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, a 1700 years old institution, has long had a fraught relationship with the Turkish government, which has refused to recognize his ecumenical role, a status acknowledged by millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Lawmakers said their recognition was not merely symbolic. It underscored broader concerns about minority rights, environmental ethics and moral leadership in global affairs.
What’s Next
As part of his visit, Bartholomew is in the United States to accept the Templeton Prize, which honors individuals whose work highlights “the spiritual dimension of human existence.” Previous recipients include Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu.
At the same time, lawmakers continue to press for substantive actions: recognition by the Turkish state of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s jurisdiction, the reopening of Halki Seminary to train clergy from around the world, and greater protection for religious minorities in Turkey.
