WASHINGTON -
The Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden and his wife hosted a formal dinner yesterday Nov. 4, at the Vice Presidential Residence to honor His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who during this third leg of his trip to the United States is visiting Washington, DC.
His All Holiness and the Vice President had a long and fruitful meeting immediately prior to the dinner, where issues of mutual interest were discussed including religious freedom and religious tolerance, the interreligious and intercultural dialogue initiatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the re-opening of the Theological School of Halki and the leadership role of His All Holiness for the preservation of the natural environment. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has just concluded hisEighth Religion, Science and Environment Symposium
in New Orleans, focusing on the Mississippi River.
"We are with you, [and] we support the Ecumenical Patriarch as a leader of global standing," said Vice President Biden addressing the Ecumenical Patriarch and quoting the Ancient Greek fabulist Aesop who said "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance," the Vice President said to His All Holiness: "You have always been brave and never from a safe distance. You have stared down those who seek to erode the authority of the Church tirelessly, professing the Greek Orthodox way for millions of followers."
"Your Holiness I am truly grateful for your work on environmental awareness across the United States of America... You delivered a moving address in New Orleans and in New York, and you have inspired hundreds of thousands of Americans along the way," continued Mr. Biden and added "you have been a champion for tolerance and interfaith dialogue reaching out to both the Catholic Church and the Moslem community, both in your native country Turkey and throughout the world."
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his response to the Vice President thanked him for the love, the hospitality and his "lifetime of public service" for his fellow citizens and in defense of justice and freedom and he underlined current worldwide conditions:
"The current worldwide economic crisis has fast become a crisis of hope for the peoples of the world. The youth of the world are in doubt as to the security of their economic future, the stability and tranquility of the world's many governments and nations, and the health and well-being of the planet that we all call "home."
"For those of us who serve ancient and venerable spiritual institutions like the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we are challenged daily to convey spiritual truth in a context of acceptance and understanding of every person, whether they are adherents of our faith or not. We have the awesome task of instilling hope for the future in the hearts of the people of the world. Our message is not confined to any grouping, identity or language. For in these challenging times, Mr. Vice President, while you seek solutions in the worlds of finance, diplomacy, and social welfare, we offer the lasting and existentially meaningful alternatives to the "opiates of the people". We have the sacred duty and trust to offer compassion, mercy, sacrifice, generosity, and ultimately love." (for the full text see
http://www.patriarchate. For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
President Obama Receives Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Oval Office
November 3, 2009
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.
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.
During the more than half an hour meeting, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew raised the subjects of climate change and commended the President for his initiatives, urging him for an even more intensive campaign on behalf of ecological responsibility. For his part, President Obama thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for his moral and ethical leadership for all the world’s faith communities in responding to environmental concerns. In particular, the President thanked His All Holiness for his recent environmental symposium on the Mississippi River and his opening address. They both shared their experiences of the Lower Ninth Ward and their concern for the redevelopment of this hard hit neighborhood of New Orleans.
President Obama stressed his appreciation for the unique role of the Ecumenical Patriarch as the leader of the Orthodox Christian world, and the unique character of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an institution. He expressed to His All Holiness his commitment to the re-opening of the Theological School of Halki, citing the advantage to Turkey itself that the full operation of Halki would bring.
At the close of their very substantive meeting, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew assured the President of his prayers for his healthcare initiatives for the sake of the poor and needy.
Present at the meeting of the President with His All Holiness were, from the White House: Tom Donilon, Assistant to the President, Deputy National Security Advisor; Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of European Affairs; Joshua DuBois, Director of Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Bridget Brink, Director for Aegean and South Caucasus; and accompanying the Ecumenical Patriarch were: Archbishop Demetrios of America, Geron Metropolitan Athanasios of Chalcedon, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Metropolitan Ambrosios of Korea and Protopresbyter Alexander Karloutsos.
Lecture at Georgetown and other events
Immediately after their meeting, His All Holiness, returning to the campus of Georgetown University , gave a major address entitled “A Changeless Faith for a Changing World. ” The Center for American Progress, together with Georgetown University, sponsored the event. (for the full text see
http://www.patriarchate.org/documents/georgetown_2009
)
Tomorrow, His All Holiness will give another major address at the Brookings Institution entitled, “Saving the Soul of the Planet,” on environmental responsibility.
In the afternoon, the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader will co-host His All Holiness at a luncheon in the Capitol. A private meeting with the Speaker PelosiGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
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