Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople

Bartholomew I
File:EcumenicalPatriarchBartholomewI.jpg
Birth name	Dimitrios Arhondonis
Patriarchate began	November 2, 1991
Predecessor	Demetrius I
Successor	Incumbent
Born	(1940-02-29) February 29, 1940 Imvros, Turkey

Styles of Patriarch Bartholemew I
File:Constantinople coat of arms.PNG
Reference style	His All Holiness
Spoken style	Your All Holiness
Alternative style	None

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (Greek: Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος Α) (born 29 February 1940) has been the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and thus "first among equals" in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, since 2 November 1991.

Early life and career

Bartholomew I was born in the village of Aghios Theodoros (Άγιος Θεόδωρος in Greek, in Turkish Zeytinli köyü) on Imbros (Ίμβρος Imvros to its Greek inhabitants, modern Gökçeada), son of Christos and Merope Archontonis. His birth name is Dimitrios Arhondonis (Δημήτριος Αρχοντώνης, Dimítrios Archontónis). By citizenship he is Turkish, but belongs ethnically to the small remnants of the Greek community in Turkey (see Istanbul Pogrom).

Demetrios Archontonis attended elementary school in his native Imbros and continued his secondary education in the famous Zographeion Lyceum in Istanbul. Soon afterwards, he studied Theology as an undergraduate at the Patriarchal Theological school, Halki seminary , from which he graduated with highest honours in 1961, and was immediately ordained deacon, receiving the name Bartholomew. Bartholomew fullfilled his military service in the Turkish army as a reserve officer between 1961 and 1963. From 1963 to 1968, Bartholomew pursued graduate studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Rome, the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (Switzerland) and the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (Germany). His doctoral research was on Canon Law. The same year he became a lecturer in the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

After returning in Istanbul in 1968, he took a position in the Patriarchal Theological Seminary of Halki, where he was ordinated priest, in 1969, by Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. When Demetrius I became Ecumenical Patriarch in 1972 and established the Patriarchal Office, invited Bartlomew as its director. On Christmas 1973, Bartholomew became Metropolitan of Philadelphia, and renamed director of the office until his enthronement as Metropolitan of Chalcedon in 1990. From March 1974 until his enthronement as Ecumenical Patriarch, he was a member of the Holy Synod as well as of many Synodical Committees.

He speaks contemporary Greek, Turkish, Italian, German, French and English; he is also fluent in classical Greek and Latin.

Accomplishments as Ecumenical Patriarch

As Ecumenical Patriarch, he has been particularly active internationally. One of his first focuses has been on rebuilding the once-persecuted Eastern Orthodox Churches of the former Eastern Bloc following the fall of Communism there in 1990. As part of this effort he has worked to strengthen ties amongst the various national Churches and Patriarchates of the Eastern Orthodox Communion. He has also continued the reconciliation dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church started by his predecessors, and initiated dialogue with other faiths, including other Christian, Muslim, and Jewish sects.

Perhaps most unusually, he has gained a reputation as a prominent environmentalist, putting the support of the Patriarchate behind various international environmental causes. This has earned him the nicknames "the Green Patriarch" and "the Green Pope" and in 2002 he was honored with the Sophie Prize. He has also been honoured with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award which may be bestowed by the Legislative Branch of the United States government.

Bartholomew I after advocating certain aspects of Turkish foreign policy and attempts to celebrate the Liturgy in remote areas of the country thereby renewing with the Orthodox presence prior to 1924 has now come under intense pressure from Turkish nationalist elements. The patriarchal Seminary of Halki in the Princes' Islands remains closed since 1971 on government orders.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s tenure has been characterized by inter-Orthodox cooperation, inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogue, as well as by formal trips to Orthodox and Muslim countries seldom previously visited. He has exchanged numerous invitations of Church and State dignitaries. His efforts to promote religious freedom and human rights, his initiatives to advance religious tolerance among the world’s religions.

During his trip to Turkey in November 2006 Pope Benedict XVI travelled to Istanbul (Constantinople) on the invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I. The Pope participated in the feast day services of St. Andrew the First Apostle, the patron saint of the Church of Constantinople. This was the third official visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate by a Pope of Rome (the first being by Paul VI in 1967, and the second by John Paul II in 1979).

In an interview published on November 19, 2006 in the daily newspaper Sabah, Bartholomew I addressed the issues of religious freedom and the upcoming papal trip to Turkey. He also referred to the closing of the Halki seminary by saying "'As Turkish citizens, we pay tax. We serve in the military. We vote. As citizens we do everything. We want the same rights. But it does not happen. ... If Muslims want to study theology, there are 24 theology faculties. Where are we going to study?" He also addressed the issue of his Ecumenical title and its not being accepted by the Turkish government: We've had this title since the 6th century. ... The word ecumenical has no political content. ... This title is the only thing that I insist on. I will never renounce this title."(in Turkish)(in English).

Titles

The official title of the Ecumenical Patriarch is:

His All Holiness, Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch;

in Greek:

Η Αυτού Θειοτάτη Παναγιότης, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Νέας Ρώμης και Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης, Βαρθολομαίος Α.

Awards

He has been awarded honorary doctorates by a number of universities and educational institutions around the world, among them: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Democritus University of Thrace, University of Crete, University of Ioannina, University of the Aegean and University of Thessaly in Greece, Moscow State University in Russia, University of Iaşi in Romania, City University of London, Exeter University and University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute and Université de Provence Aix-Marseille I in France, University of Bucharest in Romania, Flinders University in Australia, Adamson University in the Philippines, St. Andrew’s College and Sherbrooke University in Canada, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Georgetown University, Tufts University, Southern Methodist University, Yale University, Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States.

Ordinations

• August 13, 1961, Diaconate, receiving the ecclesiastical name Bartholomew
• October 19, 1969, Priesthood
  
• Christmas 1973, Metropolitan of Philadelphia (Asia Minor)
  
• January 14, 1990, Enthronement as Metropolitan of Chalcedon
  
• October 22, 1991, Elected 270th Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
  
• November 2, 1991, Enthronement in the Patriarchal Cathedral in the Phanar

External links

• Official biography
• Official website of the Papal visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate