"We would like to thank Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) who, as a key member of the House Europe Subcommittee, drafted this resolution and introduced it. He then worked very hard to -- in just one week - secure over 50 Members of Congress as cosponsors of this resolution and get it passed by the Congress. CEH was happy to have worked with Congressman Bilirakis on this important effort," said Andy Manatos, President of the National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes.

This resolution highlights for top US policymakers and others in the U.S., a number of truly remarkable, yet little-known, accomplishments by the Ecumenical Patriarch, such as that he:

• "is head of the largest Christian church headquartered in the Muslim world and convener of an ecumenical meeting which produced the first condemnation by Muslim leaders of the 9/11 attack on the United States as an anti-religious act;"
• "was selected by Time Magazine as number 11 among 2008's 100 most influential people in the world;"
• "received on his first official visit to the United States in 1997, the Congressional Gold Medal presented by the United States on behalf of the Congress in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace, and was recognized by the United States in a manner reserved for a very small number of world leaders;"
• "enhanced greater religious understanding by initiating a joint declaration that it is man's duty to protect the earth, signed by himself and Pope John Paul II, the spiritual leaders of nearly 1 out of every 5 people in the world;"
• "is called `the Green Patriarch' by leaders of the international environmental community;"

As well, Bartholomew was selected by the United Nations to be the first leader with international authority designated as a Laureate Champion of the Earth.

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in New Orleans, on Oct. 20 to begin his Apostolic and Patriarchal Visit to the United States. The purpose of this, his sixth visit to our nation, was twofold: to convene and preside over the Eighth Religion, Science and the Environment (RSE) Symposium, and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Archbishop Demetrios of America as the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.