Georgetown University: Title: His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome, Promotes Interf …

2021-10-26

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and hierarchical superior to over 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, promoted interfaith unity and collaboration during a historic ecumenical visit to Georgetown on Monday October 25, as part of his 12-day American Tour.

The Ecumenical Patriarch, renowned for advancing interfaith dialogue and reconciliation around the world, attended an interfaith ceremony with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, DC, Georgetown President John J. DeGioia, Thomas A. Reynolds III , Chairman of the Georgetown Board of Trustees, and Georgetown University Students.

The ceremony took place in the newly renovated Copley Crypt Chapel in Georgetown, where Catholic Masses and Orthodox Christian liturgical services are celebrated year round. Standing in front of a newly installed screen of Orthodox icons, the Ecumenical Patriarch praised his “true fraternal friendship with Pope Francis” and accepted a ceremonial gift symbolizing religious unity from Georgetown President John J. DeGioia.

“We have a special connection with this wonderful institution,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch at a later dinner in Georgetown. “We would like to add a sincere expression of our appreciation for Georgetown and its continued role in the intellectual and spiritual formation of so many.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th Archbishop of the Orthodox Christian Church, founded by the Apostle Andrew in AD 36 in Byzantium, now Istanbul. Elected in 1991, the Ecumenical Patriarch worked closely with international political and interfaith leaders to advance religious freedom, human rights and environmental protection.

As a Catholic and Jesuit institution rooted in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and respect for all religious traditions, Georgetown is “deeply honored to be joined by the Ecumenical Patriarch,” President DeGioia said during his dinner address. .

“As we celebrate this special occasion, we recognize both the presence of our Orthodox community here in Georgetown and the strength of our Jesuit tradition, which calls us to engage through religious traditions. We meet this evening in the dialogue and friendship, seeking to build and strengthen our relationships with one another.

An ecumenical ceremony

The Ecumenical Patriarch’s visit to the United States marks the 30th anniversary of his election. This is also his third visit to Georgetown, a stop on each of his last three trips to the United States. During his last visit in 2009, the Ecumenical Patriarch delivered a speech at Gaston Hall in Georgetown titled “Steadfast Faith for a Changing World,” where he advocated for healing and environmental protection. In 1997, the Ecumenical Patriarch received an honorary degree in Georgetown.

During the ceremony at the Copley Crypt Chapel, President DeGioia presented the Ecumenical Patriarch with a plate that depicts Saint Andrew, the Apostle of the East and the Forerunner of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Christian Church, embracing his brother, Saint Peter, the apostle who became the first pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The plaque reflects a newly installed icon on a crypt wall symbolizing religious unity.

The Ecumenical Patriarch discussed the symbolism of his friendship with Pope Francis and his continued collaboration on issues of the environment and human dignity. He then blessed each of the students gathered in the crypt.

New Georgetown Orthodox Chaplain Endowment Announced by Psaros Family

Later that evening, at a dinner on campus, the Ecumenical Patriarch was introduced by Michael Psaros (B’89), Georgetown board member and vice chairman of the McDonough executive council Georgetown School of Business. Psaros is also Archon, or Laureate, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a member of the Order of St. Andrew, where he sits on its National Council.

In his remarks, Psaros announced a donation of $ 3 million to endow the “Orthodox Chaplaincy of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Georgetown,” endowed by the Michael Psaros family. The chaplaincy will support a full-time Orthodox chaplain to meet the pastoral and spiritual needs of the growing Orthodox Christian student community at the university. The Chaplain Endowment is the first fully staffed chaplain position in the ministry program on university campuses.

Psaros’ donation complements the $ 250,000 donation he made in 2019 to renovate the Copley Crypt, the sacred space on campus where Catholic Orthodox vespers, liturgies and masses are held. This donation included the financing of the icons and the iconostasis of the crypt.

“This endowment will result in the very tangible presence of Holy Orthodoxy at the University for centuries to come,” said Psaros. “Georgetown University is now in possession of a patriarchal chaplaincy, on behalf of Bartholomew, the oldest and most important ecumenical patriarch in modern history,” he said.

Georgetown Orthodox Christian chaplain Bro. David Pratt said the endowment “matches Georgetown’s long-standing commitment to serving Orthodox students.”

“As an Orthodox chaplain of the oldest Jesuit Catholic university, I was honored to attend the symbolic visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch to our chapel and to be part of his advocacy for interfaith dialogue and greater cooperation between people of faith, ”he said. “The endowment also brings new attention to the importance of meeting the spiritual needs of students and their training as true Christian leaders for the future.

“This new chair will bring continued energy to our ecumenical work of reconciliation and mutual understanding in the years to come,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch. “And that’s because Georgetown is more than a founding and exemplary university institute,” he said during his dinner address. “Georgetown is a microcosm of the world and the way we choose to interpret it.”

During his invocation at dinner, the Ecumenical Patriarch shared his support for Georgetown in addressing issues of slavery and racial injustice in his own past, and stood up for “honesty and truth” by facing the past and speaking on current environmental justice and responsibility.

“The past is never completely behind us, and if we want to advance in freedom and in the pursuit of justice, we have to face the layers that lie beneath us on which our buildings are built,” he said. he declares. “Our Ecumenical Patriarchate is committed to the same honesty and the same truth, even when it has not been welcomed by the powers of the world.

“Our ecological advocacy and witness is not a fleeting exercise. The entire life of the church is a call to ecological awareness. It is mandated by the gospel, which commands us to be faithful and wise stewards of all , which God has entrusted to us. “

The “Green Patriarch”

Known as the “Green Patriarch,” the Ecumenical Patriarch has advocated for environmental protection and accountability throughout his tenure, organizing summits and working closely with international political and religious leaders.

On October 4, he signed a joint message with Pope Francis and other religious leaders calling on world leaders to achieve “net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible”. He also joined Pope Francis at an interfaith gathering in Rome on October 7.

The Ecumenical Patriarch has worked tirelessly to advance reconciliation between Christian Churches and the Roman Catholic Church, unity between the Orthodox Church and dialogue between Christians, Muslims and Jews. In 1997, he received the US Congressional Gold Medal in 1997, which had previously been awarded to Mother Teresa.

Before traveling to Georgetown, the Patriarch met Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in Georgetown and later President Joseph R. Biden. He is due to meet with other U.S. leaders and will preside over a ceremony to commemorate St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center, a shrine to commemorate and replace the only church destroyed in the 9/11 attacks.

Antonia Sames (C’23) who attended the visit of the Patriarch, stressed its importance for members of all religious traditions.

“I have grown in the Orthodox Church all my life and as an active member of the Church and the community, it is an exceptional joy and blessing to welcome His All Holiness into our university home,” says -she. “As a spiritual father, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew inspires us to strengthen our age-old faith amid the challenges of modern times. Orthodox Christians or not, all members of the Georgetown community can learn from the Ecumenical Patriarch’s emphasis on interfaith dialogue and environmentalism. “

This press release was produced by Georgetown University. The opinions expressed here are those of the author.