INFORMATION SERVICE
Dossier–October,2015
HisAllHoliness,BartholomewI,ArchbishopofConstantinople,NewRomeandEcumenical
Patriarch
BiographicalProfile
Biography
HisAllHolinessArchbishopBartholomewI,wasbornDemetriosArchondonis,in1940ontheislandof
Imvros(today,Gokceada,Turkey).HehasworkedtirelesslyforthereconciliationamongChristianChurches
andacquiredaprestigerecognizedinternationally,inraisingenvironmentalawareness.Hehasworked
persistentlytoadvancereconciliationwiththeRomanCatholicChurchandtheAnglicanCommunion,aswell
aswithotherconfessions,throughtheologicaldialoguesandpersonalencounterswithrespectiveleaders.As
amemberoftheWorldCouncilofChurches,hehasworkedwiththeExecutiveandCentralCommitteesand
withthe'FaithandOrder'Commission.Moreover,hehasinitiatednumerousmeetingsandconversationswith
MuslimandJewishleadersinanefforttopromotemutualrespectandreligioustoleranceglobally.
Background
HisAllHolinesspursuedhispostgraduatestudiesatthePontificalOrientalInstituteoftheGregorian
UniversityinRome,theEcumenicalInstituteofBossey(Switzerland)andattheUniversityofMunich.He
receivedhisdoctorateinCanonLawandwasafoundingmemberofthe“SocietyforJusticeforEastern
Churches.”In1961hewasordaineddeacon(andgiventhenameBartholomew)andin1969ordaineda
priest.HeservedasAssistantDeanoftheTheologicalSchoolofHalki(1968‐72)andwaslaterappointed
secretarytohispredecessor,theEcumenicalPatriarchDemetrios(1972‐90).In1973hewasconsecrated
bishopandnamedMetropolitanofPhiladelphia(AsiaMinor),untilhisenthronementin1990asMetropolitan
ofChalcedon.OnOctober22,1991HisAllHolinesswasunanimouslyelectedArchbishopofConstantinople,
NewRomeandEcumenicalPatriarch.Hehasbeenawardedhonorarydoctoratesbyanumberofprestigious
academicinstitutionsaroundtheworld.HeisfluentinGreek,Turkish,Italian,German,FrenchandEnglish,as
wellasclassicalGreekandLatin.
EcumenicalPatriarchBartholomew'srolesastheprimaryspiritualleaderoftheOrthodoxChristianworld
andatransitionalfigureofglobalsignificancecontinuetobecomemorevitalwitheachpassingday.HisAll
Holinesshasco‐sponsoredinternationalpeaceconferences,meetingsonthesubjectsofracismand
fundamentalism,bringingtogetherChristians,MuslimsandJews,withthepurposeofcreatinggreater
cooperationandmutualunderstanding.Hisworkhasalwaystreatednumeroustopicsofinternational
importancesuchascooperationbetweenOrthodox,inter‐Christianandinter‐religiousdialogues;
environmentalissues,humanrightsandreligiousfreedom.In1997hewasawardedtheCongressionalGold
MedalbytheU.S.Congress.
TheEcumenicalPatriarchateofConstantinople
TheEcumenicalPatriarchateistheprimaryecclesiasticalcenteroftheOrthodoxChurchthroughoutthe
world,tracingitshistorytothedayofPentecostandtheearlyChristiancommunitiesfoundedbytheApostles
ofJesusChrist.Accordingtotraditionthe'protocleto'(thefirstcalled)oftheApostles,Andrew,preachedthe
GospelinAsiaMinor,theBlackSea,ThraceandAchaia,wherehewasmartyred.
In36A.D.hefoundedtheChurchalongthebanksoftheBosphorus,inthecitylaternamedByzantiumand
thenConstantinople,todayIstanbul.SaintAndrewisthePatronSaintoftheEcumenicalPatriarchate.
ThefeastofthePatronSaintiscelebratedonNovember30.AsArchbishopofConstantinopleandNewRome,
EcumenicalPatriarchBartholomewoccupiestheFirstThroneoftheOrthodoxChristianChurchandpresides
inhistoricalhonorandfraternalspiritamongalltheOrthodoxPrimates.Theseincludethe
ancientPatriarchateofAlexandria,AntiochandJerusalem,aswellasthemorerecentPatriarchatesof
Moscow,Serbia,Romania,BulgariaandGeorgia.Inaddition,theEcumenicalPatriarchhasthehistoricaland
theologicalresponsibilitytoinitiateandcoordinateactionsamongtheOrthodoxChurchesofCyprus,Greece,
Poland,Albania,CzeckLands,Slovacchia,Finland,Estonia,aswellasnumerousarchdiocesesintheoldand
thenewworld:Europe,America,AsiaandAustralia.
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