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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize Ecumenical Patriarch
4Bartholomew of Constantinople on the historic 30th anniversary
5of his election on October 22, 1991 and his elevation on
6November 2, 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople New
7Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was born to
9Christos and Merope Archontonis in the village of Zeytinli on
10the island of Imbros; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew belongs to the
12historically indigenous Rum, descendants of the Eastern Roman
13Empire/Byzantine Empire Greek community in Turkey; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended
15elementary school in his native Imbros and continued his
16secondary education in the famous Zographeion Lyceum in
17Constantinople; soon afterward, he studied theology as an
18undergraduate at the Patriarchal Theological School of Halki;
19he graduated with highest honors in 1961 and was immediately
20ordained deacon, receiving the name Bartholomew; from 1963 to
211968, he pursued his postgraduate studies at the Pontifical
22Oriental Institute in Rome, the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey

 

 

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1in Switzerland, and the Ludwig Maximilians University of
2Munich in Germany; his doctoral research was on the Canon Law;
3after returning to Constantinople in 1968, he took a position
4at the Patriarchal Theological Seminary of Halki; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was ordained a
6priest on October 19, 1969 by Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras
7I; and
 
8    WHEREAS, When Demetrius I became Ecumenical Patriarch in
91972 and established the Patriarchal Office, he selected
10Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as its director; on Christmas
11of 1973, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew became Metropolitan
12of Philadelphia and was renamed as director of the patriarchal
13office until his enthronement as Metropolitan of Chalcedon in
141990; and
 
15    WHEREAS, On October 22, 1991, Ecumenical Patriarch
16Bartholomew was elected the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople
17New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, for which his enthronement
18ceremony took place on November 2, 1991 in the Patriarchal
19Cathedral in the Phanar; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the
21longest-serving Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in the
22history of Christianity; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is recognized in
2the United States and abroad as a leader in the quest for world
3peace, greater religious understanding, and respect for the
4Earth's environment; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the spiritual
6leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church with millions of
7Orthodox Christians around the world and in the United States,
8with a significant population here in Illinois and the City of
9Chicago; and
 
10    WHEREAS, On his first official visit to the United States
11in 1997, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received the
12Congressional Gold Medal, presented by the United States on
13behalf of Congress in recognition of his outstanding and
14enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace;
15he was recognized by the United States in a manner reserved for
16a very small number of world leaders; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew enhanced greater
18religious understanding by initiating a joint declaration
19stating that it is man's duty to protect the earth, signed by
20himself and Pope John Paul II, the spiritual leaders of nearly
21one out of every five people in the world; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, House Resolution 666 of the 95th General Assembly
2passed the Illinois House of Representatives on October 4,
32007, followed by Senate Resolution 70 of the 98th, which
4passed the Illinois State Senate on May 31, 2013, both
5remarked on Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's importance to
6the State of Illinois and his accomplishments; and
 
7    WHEREAS, House Resolution 348 of the 101st General
8Assembly passed the Illinois House of Representatives on May
930, 2019, recognized the 50th anniversary of Priesthood for
10Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, and
11remarked on his importance to the State of Illinois and his
12accomplishments; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The outstanding accomplishments of Ecumenical
14Patriarch Bartholomew have been formally recognized and
15honored by numerous governmental, academic, and other
16institutions around the world; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
18HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19we declare October 22, 2021 as Ecumenical See of
20Constantinople Day in order to commemorate the 30th
21anniversary of the elevation of Ecumenical Patriarch
22Bartholomew of Constantinople; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we recognize the continuing and historic
2service by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople; and be
3it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That we recognize the importance to Illinois,
5the United States, and to the world of Ecumenical Patriarch
6Bartholomew's leadership on matters of the environment, peace,
7and religion and encourage United States foreign policy makers
8to continue to urge Turkey to grant religious freedom and
9property rights to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as to
10reopen the theological school at Halki; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That we express our support for Ecumenical
12Patriarch Bartholomew's noble efforts for the betterment of
13humankind; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as a symbol of
16our respect and esteem.