Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Meets with U.S. Congressmen

Stella Tsolakidou
3/10/2011

“We don’t believe in the clash of civilizations”, stressed the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during his meeting with two members of the U.S. Congress at the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Congressmen Steve King from Iowa and Wally Herger from California, accompanied by the Consul General of the US Embassy in Istanbul Mr. Scott Kilner, their assistant Mrs. Sara Blocher, Marshal John O’ Shea and Mrs. Hannah Draper, political officer responsible for religious freedom in the Consulate General of USA in Turkey, visited His All Holiness Bartholomew on Friday and discussed matters of high importance for both the Patriarchate and the Greek Community of Istanbul.
Other topics for discussion were the initiatives of the Patriarchate to promote a more substantial dialogue amidst the three monotheistic religions and to inform people about the protection of the environment.

What is worth mentioning is that the American politicians have agreed on religion playing a very critical role in securing peace around the world. The Ecumenical Patriarch highlighted that this is the cause everyone in the world should fight for and sounded optimistic about the future.

The two U.S. Congressmen have already visited Athens, Nicosia and Ankara before visiting the Patriarchate in Fanari.

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