2022 -- S 2019 | |
======== | |
LC003318 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022 | |
____________ | |
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N | |
JOYOUSLY CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ECUMENICAL | |
PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW OF CONSTANTINOPLE | |
| |
Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Gallo, Euer, Kallman, Algiere, de la Cruz, F | |
Date Introduced: January 25, 2022 | |
Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration | |
1 | WHEREAS, Bartholomew of Constantinople, the 270th and current Archbishop of |
2 | Constantinople, and the Ecumenical Patriarch since November 2, 1991, was born Dimitrios |
3 | Archontonis on February 29, 1940, on the Island of Imbros, which was later renamed Gokceada |
4 | by Turkey; and |
5 | WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended elementary school on his home |
6 | Island of Imbros and then attended secondary school at the renowned Zographeion Lyceum in |
7 | Constantinople (Istanbul). Shortly thereafter, he studied theology at the Patriarchal Theological |
8 | School of Halki, graduating in 1961 with highest honors. Upon graduation he was immediately |
9 | ordained a deacon and given the name Bartholomew; and |
10 | WHEREAS, From 1963 to 1968, Bartholomew pursued graduate studies at the Pontifical |
11 | Oriental Institute in Rome, the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey in Switzerland and the Ludwig |
12 | Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. Upon graduating, he returned to Constantinople and |
13 | was appointed Assistant Dean of the Sacred Theological School of Halki, and shortly thereafter |
14 | was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on October 19, 1969; and |
15 | WHEREAS, In 1972, Bartholomew was chosen to serve as the Director of the Patriarchal |
16 | Office of his predecessor patriarch Demetrios. On Christmas of 1973, he was named the |
17 | Metropolitan of Philadelphia, was renamed as the Director of the Patriarchal office, and remained |
18 | in those positions until he was enthroned as the Metropolitan of Chalcedon in 1990; and |
19 | WHEREAS, On October 22, 1991, in Istanbul, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was |
| |
1 | unanimously elected by the Holy Synod, to be the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople, |
2 | Ecumenical Patriarch, and the spiritual leader of approximately 300 million Orthodox Christians |
3 | across the globe and many millions in the United States. The State of Rhode Island is blessed to |
4 | be the home of three Greek Orthodox parishes: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, |
5 | Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, and St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church; and |
6 | WHEREAS, Throughout his tenure as the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew has |
7 | worked tirelessly in support of religious liberty and tolerance throughout the world. He has been |
8 | called the “Green Patriarch” in honor and recognition of his efforts to promote ecology and in |
9 | support of initiatives to protect the environment, to raise personal responsibility and to promote |
10 | environmental ethics, by organizing numerous international ecumenical and interreligious |
11 | symposia, all over the globe . Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has always been a firm believer |
12 | and a global leader, in interfaith dialogue and thanks to his hard work, Orthodox Christian |
13 | relations with the Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists and other Christian groups have been |
14 | greatly advanced. His unique perspective and experience as a citizen of Turkey has greatly |
15 | assisted him in his efforts to promote greater understanding and tolerance between the Muslim |
16 | community and the Orthodox Christian community. He strongly engaged by taking significant |
17 | initiatives in an international level, on defending and promoting Children's Rights and raised a |
18 | strong voice against Modern Slavery; and |
19 | WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s wisdom, patience, and vigorous |
20 | support of peaceful resolutions to world conflicts has been widely sought out and appreciated by |
21 | world leaders and organizations across the globe. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was invited |
22 | to Brussels in 1993 to meet with the President of the Commission of the European Union, and in |
23 | 1994, he delivered a historical and inspirational talk, as an invited Church leader at the plenary |
24 | session of the European Union in Strasbourg. Later that year, he addressed the sixth World |
25 | Conference of Religions for Peace in Riva, del Garda, Italy. Ecumenical Patriarch also visited |
26 | Jerusalem in 1995, where he met Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, as well as Pope John Paul II |
27 | in Rome at the Vatican; and |
28 | WHEREAS, Other distinguished leaders who have consulted with the Ecumenical |
29 | Patriarch include then-President of France, Jacques Chirac in Lourdes, the Archbishop of |
30 | Canterbury in Great Britain, and the Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shortly after September 11, |
31 | 2001, the Ecumenical Patriarch co-chaired a major inter-faith meeting with the President of the |
32 | European Commission, Roman Prodi, on “The Peace of God in the World”, an event with major |
33 | religious leaders from Christianity, Islam and Judaism in attendance; and |
34 | WHEREAS, In his first visit to the United States, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew |
| LC003318 - Page 2 of 3 |
1 | received the Congressional Gold Medal, in recognition of “his outstanding and enduring |
2 | contributions to religious understanding and peace”. In his most recent twelve-day visit to the |
3 | United States, the Ecumenical Patriarch visited New York City on November 2, 2021, presided |
4 | over a somber ceremonial door opening at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National |
5 | Shrine near the World Trade Center in memory of the tragedy of the terrorist attacks that took |
6 | place twenty years earlier on September 11, 2001, and in further memory of the small orthodox |
7 | parish church near ground zero that was also destroyed during the terrorist attacks. The |
8 | Ecumenical Patriarch also visited the White House and met with President Biden on his recent |
9 | trip to the United States; and |
10 | WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received numerous awards and honors |
11 | throughout his distinguished life of public service including the Human Dignity Award from the |
12 | American Jewish Committee, the 2013 Global Thinkers Forum Award for Excellence in Peace |
13 | and Collaboration, the Four Freedoms Award in 2012 for the Freedom of Worship, the |
14 | aforementioned Congressional Gold Medal, which, along with the Presidential Medal of |
15 | Freedom, is one of the two highest civilian awards given by the United States, and the 2002 |
16 | Sophie Prize for his environmental advocacy. In April of 2008, Ecumenical Patriarch |
17 | Bartholomew was included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the |
18 | world; now, therefore be it |
19 | RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby congratulates |
20 | Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the 30th Anniversary of his election as the Ecumenical |
21 | Patriarch on October 22, 1991. We thank him for his tireless efforts to promote world peace, to |
22 | protect the environment, to support religious tolerance and liberty, and for being the inspirational |
23 | leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians. We wish him many more years of good |
24 | health, happiness, and success as the Ecumenical Patriarch and in his many noble endeavors; and |
25 | be it further |
26 | RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
27 | transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of |
28 | Constantinople. |
======== | |
LC003318 | |
======== | |
| LC003318 - Page 3 of 3 |