Fordham to Honor Ecumenical Patriarch

The Ecumenical Patriarch, the 270th successor of the 2,000-year-old Christian Church founded by St. Andrew, will receive a doctorate of laws, honoris causa, at a ceremony to be held at the University Church on Fordham's Rose Hill campus.

"We are honored, of course, to receive the Ecumenical Patriarch here at Fordham," said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. "His All Holiness instructs us in ecumenism and tolerance, in stewardship of the Earth and in fearless defense of faith. Therefore, we welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and look forward to ever-stronger ties between the Orthodox Christian and Catholic churches."

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be visiting the United States between Oct. 17 and Nov. 5, beginning in Memphis, Tenn., leading his Eighth International Environmental Symposium, this time addressing the needs of the Mississippi River. He then will travel to New York City, where he will celebrate several liturgies before receiving an honorary doctorate from Fordham.

The Ecumenical Patriarch has occupied the First Throne of the Orthodox Christian Church since 1991. He is the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians throughout the world, and has worked in close and brotherly association with two Popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

A citizen of Turkey, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's personal experience provides him a unique perspective on the continuing dialogue among the Christian, Islamic and Jewish worlds. He works to advance reconciliation among Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox communities and is supportive of peace building measures to diffuse global conflict in the region.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew co-sponsored the 1994 Peace and Tolerance Conference in Istanbul. His efforts in environmental awareness, including the organizing of several environmental seminars, are highly noted, earning him the title "Green Patriarch."

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 14,700 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in Westchester, and the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk.