Ecumenical Patriarch is offered an honorary doctorate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

In the agenda of the 10th Academic Conference of the “Orthodox-Jewish Dialogue” which takes place in Jerusalem from 22nd November/5th December to Thursday 24th November/7th December 2017, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem decided to pay His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the honorable distinction of the DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE honoris causa.

For this reason, His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch arrived at the Tel-Aviv Ben Gurion airport in the afternoon of Tuesday 22nd November/5th December 2017, escorted by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and Cleopas of Sweden, Reverend Archimandrite Agathaggelos and Mr. Constantine Diakrousis.

The Patriarchal Commissioner Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias and the Master of Ceremonies of the Patriarchate Archimandrite Bartholomew welcomed the Ecumenical Patriarch at the airport, on behalf of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, who had not returned from His delegation in Russia at that time.

Around 5:30 in the evening of the same day His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch visited the Holy Sepulchre for veneration, accompanied by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and Hagiotaphite Fathers.

After the Holy Sepulchre, His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch went to the Patriarchate. There, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem thanked His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch for His attendance in the restoration ceremony of the S. Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre and for His work as the leader of Orthodoxy in favour of the Romans and offered Him a set of engolpia.

His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew thanked His Beatitude the Patriarch Theophilos for His support to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and for inviting Him to attend the ceremony of the completion of the restoration of the Sacred Edicule and expressed His joy for their four meetings during the year 2017.  

Around 7:15 p.m. the same evening, His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch attended the reception at the Notre Dame hotel on the opening of the Orthodox-Jewish Dialogue and addressed the members of the conference.

Later in the evening, at the Ceremony of the Hebrew University in Mount Scopus of Jerusalem, the Ecumenical Patriarch was offered an honorary Doctorate. The title was awarded to His All-holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew by Mr. Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University and Mr. Michael Federmann, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hebrew University.

His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem was represented in the Ceremony by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis the Master of Ceremonies Arch. Bartholomew and other Hagiotaphite Fathers. At that time, His Beatitude was already on the flight to Ekaterinburg of Russia,  in order to attend the festivities on the occasion of the Feast of St. Catherine.

Source: Jerusalem Patriarchate