Green Patriarch

Fox News contributing editor Mike Emanuel catches up with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew after his Nov. 3 meeting with President Obama:

… I asked His All Holiness about his priorities during his time here in Washington, and he said meeting with the highest representatives of the Obama administration is part of that — noting that he just met with Mr. Obama, he’ll meet with Vice President Biden tomorrow, and will have dinner with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday. The Ecumenical Patriarch is also due to meet with Congressional leaders on Wednesday.

“This is an honor for us, for our Church, and it is a concrete sign of the respect the American administration has for institutions with long history and valuable service to the human kind such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” Patriarch Bartholomew said. “The Ecumenical Patriarchate is not simply the religious center, the center creating civilization, it has contributed much to the European culture and civilization. It is there. We must not forget it. It is there in Istanbul, the former Constantinople for 17 entire centuries. This interest of the White House is well understood.”

From Voice of America: Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of close to 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world, recently visited Washington, D.C. to speak about environmental issues. The Patriarch met with U.S. leaders to encourage them to push for environmental initiatives. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT3pN48GNDE[/youtube]

Welcome Remarks at the Nov. 4 Vice President Dinner.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmZT6PiZsSA[/youtube]

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At the Joint House and Senate Luncheon in his Honor Hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Remarks and Toast of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

The Rayburn Room
The Capitol
Direct Archdiocesan District
Washington, DC
November 4, 2009
———
Madame Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, Your Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and brother Hierarchs, Honored guests and friends, beloved spiritual children in the Lord,

Standing again in this Capitol – this people’s house of democracy and freedom – whose dome rises above every other building in this capital city of the American Nation, our mind travels back in time to twelve years ago, when both we and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople were honored by this august body with the Congressional Gold Medal. At that time, we made a commitment and a pledge to you, the elected representatives of the great American people. We promised you that “in the spirit of freedom, we pledge to redouble our efforts as peacemakers among different peoples and faiths.”

We say to you this day, that in spite of rising tide of intolerance and fanaticism, the Ecumenical Patriarchate continues to fulfill that pledge. Continue reading →

From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (Nov. 4, 2009):

President Obama receives Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Oval Office

WASHINGTON – His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was received today at the White House in the Oval Office by President Barack Obama. This reciprocal visit to the one paid by President Obama earlier this year (April 7, when he made his first overseas visit to a Muslim country, Turkey) followed up on their conversations at that time on the subjects of the recently concluded environmental symposium on the Mississippi River and the re-opening of the Theological School of Halki.

“The President with his kindness and openness received me and my delegation with love and honor,” said His All Holiness to the Press as he was exiting the White House. Continue reading →