Obama Hosts Spiritual Father of 300 Million Orthodox Christians at the White House

[Believer in miracles]

http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/...e-white-house/

President Obama met privately this morning with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who has served in that role for 18 years as spiritual father of the roughly 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

His All Holiness is known as the "Green Patriarch" for being a leading environmentalist, and hosted a conference on the environment in New Orleans when he arrived in the United States almost two weeks ago.

While the Ecumenical Patriarch and the president discussed the environment, the more complicated issue is the ongoing struggle by Orthodox Christians for religious freedom in Turkey. The Turkish government has refused to recognize Bartholomew as being the worldwide leader of his Church, has insisted on being involved in the selection in future Patriarchs, and has confiscated thousands of properties belonging to the Orthodox Church.

This was their second meeting after Mr. Obama met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul on April 7th.

"This is an honor for us, for our Church, and it is a concrete sign of the respect the American administration has for institutions with long history and valuable service to the human kind such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate," Patriarch Bartholomew said. "The Ecumenical Patriarchate is not simply the religious center, the center creating civilization, it has contributed much to the European culture and civilization. It is there. We must not forget it. It is there in Istanbul, the former Constantinople for 17 entire centuries. This interest of the White House is well understood."

[zipnz]

"His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew"

um... how can a mere mortal man be "all holy"?

[Hootmon]

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE: HIS ALL HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
Born: Dimitrios Arhondonis, February 29, 1940, Island of Imvros (Gokceada), Turkey.
Primary Education: Elementary and secondary education on Imvros and in Istanbul.
Formal Education: Theological School of Halki, graduated with highest honours (1961).

Ordinations:
August 13, 1961, Holy Diaconate, receiving the ecclesiastical name Bartholomew
October 19, 1969, Holy 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

Scholarships:
1963-1968 Awarded by the Ecumenical Patriarchate for study at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome; the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland; and at the University of Munich, specializing in Canon Law.

Doctorates:
The Pontifical Oriental Institute (Gregorian University). Thesis titled “The Codification of the Holy Canons and the Canonical Constitutions in the Orthodox Church.”

Awards: The U.S. Congressional Gold Medal (1997), honorary medals from various Orthodox Churches, the highest decoration bestowed by the Presidents of Lebanon, Romania, Greece, Estonia, and Hungary. The Sophie Foundation Award (Oslo, June 2002). The Binding Foundation Award (Vaduz, December 2002).

Military Service: 1961-1963 Reserve officer in the Turkish Army.

Positions: Assistant Dean of the Theological School of Halki (1968); Director Private Patriarchal Office (1972); Member of the Holy and Sacred Synod (since 1974).

Languages: Greek, Turkish, Latin, French, English, Italian, and German.

Memberships: “Society of Canon Law of the Oriental Churches,” founding member and vice-president; “Faith and Order” Committee of the World Council of Churches (W.C.C.), vice-president; Fellow of the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece; honorary member of the Pro-Oriente Foundation in Vienna; honorary citizen of numerous cities in various countries.

http://www.patriarchate.org/patriarch/biography

[Trance]

Originally Posted by zipnz

"His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew"

um... how can a mere mortal man be "all holy"?

How can the people claim the Pope (a mortal man) is God incarnate?

[Pendragon]

Originally Posted by zipnz

"His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew"

um... how can a mere mortal man be "all holy"?

His holiness BARFolomew???

[Pendragon]

Originally Posted by Hootmon

http://www.patriarchate.org/patriarch/biography

Hmmm and the plot thickens!!

[Amber Lynne]

Originally Posted by zipnz

"His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew"

um... how can a mere mortal man be "all holy"?

Good question!

[Paul]

Wow, this is very interesting.

[zipnz]

1 Samuel 2:2
"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

[Hootmon]

Originally Posted by Pendragon

Hmmm and the plot thickens!!

[Trance]

Originally Posted by Pendragon

His holiness BARFolomew???

[zipnz]

I guess I have this backwards, sorry. I should introduce myself as my first post.

Hello all, I've been lurking on this wonderful site since 2003, I use this board as a good source of information and encouragement. Occasionally, I see a post that stirs me to give a response, as this one does. I'm not trying to minimize the OP or their subject. However, it is unbiblical to elevate any person to that of a diety, yes, including the Pope. Calling a person "His All Holiness" is just flat wrong. We are all sinners who have been purchased by the blood of Christ (if we choose to accept HIM). While this man's credentials are impressive to say the least, they WILL NOT get him into heaven, and really, makes him no more loved by GOD than the least of us. We, as Christians can only claim the blood of Christ for our salvation on that day. If a person chooses to rely on his/her works or credentials, then they would be representing themselves before the LORD and therefore fall under the Law, for which no one can be saved, because if we break one commandment, then we are guilty of breaking them all and would suffer the penalty.
Please be careful in how you/we/me, hold others in regard.

In Christ,
Paul

[Sari]

This makes me wanna !!!!!!

[JY11]

Originally Posted by zipnz

"His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew"

um... how can a mere mortal man be "all holy"?

Only when other mortal men elevate him.

[LinuxMan]

Originally Posted by Trance

How can the people claim the Pope (a mortal man) is God incarnate?

Because no one does

[SummerSailing81]

Originally Posted by Believer in miracles

http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/...e-white-house/

President Obama met privately this morning with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew....

Wow, two people who think way too highly of themselves. How did all that ego get through the door I wonder?