Ecumenical Patriarch: Welcomed at the Capitol by the Speaker of the House of Representatives

With words filled with gratitude and hope, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered his code astatine the United States Capitol, wherever helium attended a peculiar bipartisan luncheon successful his honor, hosted by Speaker of the House Michael Johnson, connected Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

The beingness of His All-Holiness successful this iconic abstraction carried beardown symbolic meaning. It was not, aft all, the archetypal clip the Ecumenical Patriarch had been honored by Congress: successful 1997, helium received the Congressional Gold Medal, 1 of the nation’s highest distinctions.

In his speech, the Head of Orthodoxy highlighted the spiritual magnitude of exercising governmental authority. He reminded that authorization indispensable beryllium exercised with virtuousness and aligned with the Divine Plan, what the Church calls “oikonomia.” He spoke of humanity’s work to rightly negociate creation, which, arsenic helium stressed, has been harmed by the misuse of state and the consequences of sin.

Patriarch Bartholomew peculiarly emphasized the relation of Christ as the existent Steward of the world, who done His Incarnation restored the wounded creation. He underscored that the way of healing and renewal lies done sacrificial emotion and the overcoming of each obstacle connected the travel toward justice, peace, and harmony.

The Patriarch’s words were particularly moving erstwhile helium referred to the “House of the People,” arsenic the Capitol is known. He praised the information that the United States, successful little than 3 centuries, has managed to bring distant a unsocial operation of unity and diversity. From Native Americans to European settlers, from the descendants of slaves to governmental representatives of each parties, each stock the aforesaid space, nether the aforesaid dome.

“No different state successful the satellite demonstrates specified pluralism astatine the precise halfway of its power,” helium stressed, urging Americans to proceed serving the perfect of unity wrong the diverseness of their population.

The Patriarch besides spoke of the universality of Orthodoxy, which, arsenic helium said, embraces each who travel with sincerity of heart: “We recognize however it is imaginable for you to go ‘E Pluribus Unum’ (Out of Many, One), for our Church excessively calls each into 1 religion and 1 communion of love,” helium emphasized.

The code concluded with an invocation of God’s blessing upon the Speaker of the House and each who service the American people, with the supplication that they whitethorn proceed to enactment for peace, justice, and harmony successful the world.

The Ecumenical Patriarch’s sojourn to the Capitol is portion of a broader programme of meetings successful the United States, wherever helium is holding a bid of encounters with governmental and spiritual leaders. His connection remains timely: that authorities and nine cannot thrive without spiritual foundations, and that caring for our communal “house” — instauration itself — is the work of america all.

His speech

Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Michael Johnson,
Distinguished Members of the United States Government,
Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America,

Esteemed Hierarchs,
Honored Guests and Friends,
Beloved successful the Lord,

It is with heavy gratitude and admiration that we instrumentality to this esteemed institution—the United States Capitol—a awesome of liberty and the regularisation of law. We are particularly mindful of the grant bestowed upon america present successful 1997 with the Gold Medal of Congress.

We convey you, Mr. Speaker, for your gracious hospitality and for hosting this luncheon successful our honor.

As Ecumenical Patriarch, present serving by God’s grace for astir thirty-four years—the longest tenure successful the past of the Church of Constantinople—we are ever inspired to stock the airy of the Gospel wherever we are called.

In this halfway of governmental and secular authority, we support that the spiritual values are perfectly essential. The virtuous workout of powerfulness indispensable align with the Divine Plan—what we successful Greek telephone οἰκονομία, oregon “divine stewardship.” This stewardship encompasses each of creation, entrusted to humanity by its Creator.

Yet, done the misuse of our freedom, our “house,” our “οἶκος,” of instauration has suffered from misdeed and its deleterious consequences. Only the Creator Himself could reconstruct it, and done His Incarnation, the Lord assumed our quality quality and became the existent Steward—Οἰκονόμος—of the world, redeeming and transforming it.

In the way that the Lord Jesus trod, we find the way to healing and renewal—for our communities, our nations, and the world. It is done the aforesaid sacrificial emotion that He manifested that we tin flooded each obstacle to justice, peace, and harmony successful each the “houses” entrusted to us.

Here successful the Capitol—the “People’s House”—we spot however a young federation evolved to go a almighty awesome of unity successful diversity.

Here, you manifest spiritual values of utmost value – the equality of persons that makes this state truthful durable and truthful vigorous.

Native Americans inhabit the aforesaid spaces with Europeans who came to the New World for conquest. Descendants of Enslaved Peoples basal nether the aforesaid dome which shelters adjacent those who fought to support them truthful during the American Civil War. Figures from each governmental parties and walks of beingness capable this House wherever the People’s concern is debated and enjoined. It genuinely is simply a singular assortment of individuals, and we situation to accidental that determination is nary different state connected the world that manifests specified pluralism astatine the halfway of its power.

Mr. Speaker, beloved friends: There is truthful overmuch to beryllium arrogant of successful the American experience. The Capitol itself bears witnesser to the large experimentation that is called the United States of America.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate understands however it is imaginable for specified divers peoples to travel unneurotic and to beryllium “E Pluribus Unum,” for the aforesaid is existent of our Orthodox Christian Faith, which accepts each persons who travel successful sincerity of heart. Therefore, arsenic we adjacent our remarks today, we praise this Nation of galore that strives to beryllium one, and we invoke upon you, Mr. Speaker, and each those who service the American People, the blessings of God and His infinite mercy. Amen!