Orthodox patriarch praises Biden after meeting

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual person of Eastern Orthodox Christians, resumed a engaged American sojourn Monday aft an overnight infirmary stay, gathering with President Joe Biden aft earlier meetings with the Turkish ambassador and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

He said astatine the White House aboriginal Monday that helium was abundantly satisfied with his visit, praising Biden arsenic a “man of faith, and antheral of vision.”

“We cannot let immoderate abbreviated sighted governmental agendas to interfere with our relationships, that are through, and in, Christ Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the world.” helium said.

While Bartholomew's sojourn was expected to gully attraction to the plight of the tiny Orthodox Christian number successful his homeland of Turkey, helium took a diplomatic code astatine an earlier meal gathering hosted by Turkish Ambassador Hasan Murat Mercan, according to remarks released by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

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Bartholomew said his ngo arsenic patriarch “is purely spiritual, and demonstrates however Turkey tin beryllium — not lone an inclusive society, but a bridge-builder betwixt East and West.” He called the ambassador's invited an illustration of communal “dialogue and respect.”

The remarks did not notation to ongoing sore points specified arsenic the Turkish government's closure of an Orthodox seminary connected the Turkish land of Halki 50 years ago.

Blinken, however, “reaffirmed that the reopening of the Halki Seminary remains a continued priority” according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price's summary of their gathering aboriginal connected Monday.

“They discussed the U.S. committedness to supporting spiritual state astir the satellite and opportunities to enactment with the Orthodox Christian assemblage worldwide connected issues of shared concern, arsenic good arsenic with spiritual minorities successful Turkey and the region,” Price said.

Blinken besides praised the “remarkable leadership” Bartholomew, sometimes known arsenic the “green patriarch,” has shown successful calling for solutions to the clime crisis.

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Bartholomew besides said Monday he'd articulation with Pope Francis and the leaders of different large religions astir the satellite to telephone connected the planetary assemblage to facilitate COVID-19 vaccinations for the world, particularly for mediocre countries.

Bartholomew, 81, was released from a Washington infirmary Monday greeting aft an overnight enactment aboriginal successful his 12-day sojourn to the United States. He was brought to George Washington University Hospital connected Sunday nighttime aft helium felt “unwell” owed to the agelong formation connected Saturday and the engaged docket of events, according to the Greek Orthodox archdiocese. The hospitalization was recommended by his doc “out of an abundance of precaution,” the archdiocese said.

Bartholomew is the patriarch of Constantinople, based successful Turkey. He is considered archetypal among equals among Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, which gives him prominence but not the powerfulness of a Catholic pope. He does oversee Greek Orthodox and immoderate different jurisdictions, though ample portions of the Eastern Orthodox satellite are self-governing nether their ain patriarchs.

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The patriarch “is feeling good and is acceptable to continue” his authoritative sojourn Monday, according to a tweet from Archbishop Elpidophoros of the U.S. archdiocese, who was portion of the delegation gathering with Biden today.

Bartholomew connected Monday besides gave a code via videoconference for the Museum of the Bible successful Washington, which helium was primitively scheduled to sojourn successful person.

In the evening, helium was scheduled to be a meal astatine Georgetown University hosted by its president, John DeGioia, and Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, helium is scheduled to person an honorary grade from the University of Notre Dame successful an lawsuit highlighting efforts to amended Orthodox-Catholic ties, centuries aft the 2 churches broke decisively successful 1054 amid disputes implicit theology and papal claims of supremacy. And connected Nov. 2, helium is scheduled to preside astatine a door-opening ceremonial astatine St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine successful New York City. The shrine replaces a religion destroyed during the Sept. 11, 2001, violent attacks connected the adjacent World Trade Center.

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Associated Press Writer Alexandra Jaffe contributed to this report.

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