Bartholomew: Apostle and Visionary
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Bartholomew: Apostle and Visionary
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Overview
Surrounded on all sides by Islam, the beloved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continues to impact the world for Christ from his seat in Constantinople, a city central to Christian history.
The Orthodox Church, that great beacon of the East, now boasts 300 million members worldwide. In one of the most remarkable tenures of the patriarchate it has been more than twenty-five years since Bartholomew first accepted this ministerial position, which is considered “first among equals” of all Orthodox leaders around the world. He is viewed by many to be a strong, humble leader who is well-loved across a wide variety of political and religious boundaries.
With unfettered access to church files, Bartholomew’s personal notes, and the patriarch himself, author John Chryssavgis has woven together a picture of a man who has longed to serve God, the Church, and the world his entire life. Through personal and institutional challenges, Bartholomew continues to strive toward unity within the Orthodox community and build bridges to others. It is a task that can be as daunting as it is important. This book removes the veil that some may have placed upon this joyful man of God who is anything but mysterious, as evidenced by the heartfelt contributions to the book from world dignitaries, influencers, and religious leaders:
- Pope Francis
- Pope Benedict XVI
- Rowan Williams
- Rabbi David Rosen
- George Stephanopoulos
- Jane Goodall
- Joe Biden, Jr.
- Al Gore, Jr.
Discover for yourself the man who embodies the meaning of the word ecumenical—while not altering one thing in what he believes—and experience his passion for God, the Church, and the world.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780718087296 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nelson, Thomas, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 10/11/2016 |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 272 |
| File size: | 10 MB |
About the Author
John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was born in Australia, studied theology in Athens and New York, and holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford. He co-founded St Andrew’s Theological College in Australia, where he taught religious studies at the University of Sydney before moving to Boston as professor of theology. A clergyman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, he currently serves as theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch on environmental issues. The author of over thirty books and numerous articles in several languages on theology and spirituality, his publications include the award-winning In the Heart of the Desert and three volumes of collected works by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He lives in Harpswell, Maine.
Read an Excerpt
Bartholomew
Apostle and Visionary
By John Chryssavgis
Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2016 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7180-8729-6
CHAPTER 1
A Delicate Mosaic
Bridge Builder in a Volatile World
Violence in the name of religion is violence against all religion.
— Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at the Conference on Peace and Tolerance
Istanbul, The City Of Constantine
Reflecting on Yesterday
Christians in Istanbul — much like members of other religious communities, such as their Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters — are privileged to reside in a colorful city that once served as the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire for more than one thousand years and of the Ottoman Empire for almost half a millennium. This historical and imperial city has been variously designated through the ages as Byzantium, Constantinople, New Rome, Royal City, and Istanbul. To this day, Greeks wistfully refer to Constantinople, named for Saint Constantine the Great Emperor, as "the City" — with no further explanation. Its geographically strategic position — straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, bridging the Black and Mediterranean Seas — was recurrently desired and plundered. With one's first step into the city, this rich antiquity is as instantly apparent as similar legacies in such great cities as Rome and London.
It is here that the literary works of classical civilization and Roman law were preserved for the Western Renaissance. Plato and Aristotle would have remained inaccessible to us without Arabic translations of the High Middle Ages. Justinian I (527–565) pioneered reform and codification of Latin jurisprudence, while Leo III (717–741) influenced later Slavic legal institutions. It was the Byzantine East that Christianized the Slavic north and protected the European south from invasions by the Goths and Visigoths. And the silent presence of Byzantium is still more far-reaching. From the forks we use to dine, to the hospitals we depend on for healing, and to the academic universities where we pursue knowledge, the legacy of Byzantium has proved of lasting and profound influence. Byzantium was also the longest experiment in church-state relations, lasting from 325 to 1453, and Byzantine laws forbade the use of torture in legal proceedings — a more progressive policy than some modern societies, perhaps even our own.
Much like Rome, Istanbul sprawls across seven hills (heptâlofos) and is famous for its striking cultural monuments and heritage, its religious character and diversity, art and imperial ceremonies, education and literature, music and folklore, and culinary and natural charm. With roots in the Byzantine civilization, this cosmopolitan ethos lies directly on one of the great fault lines of faith in today's world: the confluence of Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Even today, this colossal city — with a population in excess of fourteen million, and over 99 percent Muslim — boasts an astounding expansion and appeal, with its contemporary skyscrapers, albeit often lacking aesthetic beauty or balance because of mandatory antiseismic construction. Any observer familiar with the old city is immediately impressed by the obvious development and transformation.
Yet this is also the bloodstained cradle of the Phanar (Greek for "lighthouse," referring to the old lighthouse quarter of Istanbul) — a term coterminous with the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church, since the residence and offices of the ecumenical patriarch are located there. This city is home to innumerable religious sites, elegant mansions, and the Crossroads (Stavrodrómi) commercial district and cultural gems, including renowned cemeteries and remarkable museums. The fourth-century walls of Constantine (surviving ramparts of a magnificent civilization), the fourth-century Church of Haghia Irene (where the Christian creed was formulated), the sixth-century Church of Haghia Sophia (an architectural wonder with structural elements emulated in the Blue Mosque), the sixth-century Studion Monastery (where religious life was reformed), and the extraordinarily vivid frescoes and mosaics of exceptionally unique iconography at the fourteenth-century Chora Monastery are but a few of the city's manifold treasures.
Indeed, for the Rum (Roman) Orthodox — a title used for centuries to describe Greek Christians living in Muslim states — Istanbul holds unique significance. Beyond the fact that they are natives and not immigrants, for two thousand years, this city has been the foremost seat of Orthodox Christianity and famous see of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, though its current leader, Bartholomew, is an individual of global eminence.
The Sober Reality
Reflecting on Today
In Istanbul, today, Orthodox Christians live alongside a host of other minorities and the contemporary ruling class, the Islamic leaders of Turkey, each with its own specific and turbulent history. Seasons of prosperity and fortune have frequently been succeeded by periods of decline and misfortune. Such circumstances were invariably instrumental in the shrinking of the Christian population, with an increasing shortage of clergy and closure of schools. On the other hand, it should be emphasized that new agencies have appeared, and the cultural initiatives of different organizations have risen dramatically, including various associations, foundations, and societies previously far more active when the Greek population flourished. At one time Rum Christians comprised the commercial and financial ruling class. Today they constitute a tiny remnant — barely four thousand people — that Patriarch Athenagoras liked to describe as "limited yet limitless."
Patriarch Bartholomew reminisces: "We are a small Christian drop in a vast Muslim ocean. Yet God's grace has deigned for us to survive." He remembers his parents describing the expropriation of properties and fields at Imvros in the 1960s: "I felt like Job in the Old Testament: I would hear the news of how much we had lost." Within a period of just a few months, they lost everything — their homes and farmsteads, their monasteries and chapels. "What was most destructive," the patriarch bemoans, "was the forcible closure of schools. The Greeks would be unable to educate their children; that was the worst blow." Greeks were forced to emigrate within weeks; Bartholomew's family moved to Istanbul. Most of them refused — on principle, out of dignity — to accept any compensation: a square meter for the price of an egg! New Turkish residents — entire villages and communities — were transplanted; Greek real estate was converted into Turkish estates. Greek residents emigrated — some to the City, many to Greece, most farther abroad.
It was very different when Bartholomew was growing up in Imvros. The entire village was Greek and Christian; in fact, the island itself was almost entirely Greek and Christian. There was only one mosque, and that was in the capital, Panaghía. The only Turks that the islanders would relate to were civil servants and policemen. Bartholomew's first contact with a Turk was in the person of his Turkish language instructor at school, where he also first learned about the history and customs of the country. The patriarch still recalls the young Turkish teacher, who used to refer to Bartholomew (then Demetrios) as "le petit" (the little one), for his diminutive stature. Even at Halki, there was little association with anyone other than Greeks and Christians.
The patriarch's first substantial contact with other Turks or Muslims came during the two years of his military service (19611963), when he served first as warrant officer ("one stripe," he tells me) and then as second lieutenant ("one star," he remarks) in the fortieth infantry regiment. But his Turkish colleagues loved and trusted him: his assignment was to arrange the monthly salaries — keep records, go to the bank, withdraw money, and distribute wages. "When someone needed an advance on his pay, I would help out and give them money up front. So they liked me."
In contrast, prominent intellectuals have poignantly described the difficult situation and demeaning treatment Bartholomew has often experienced in Turkey: how he waited four years for a passport to be issued after his essential election as bishop — at barely thirty years of age — in order to assume his pivotal position within the patriarchate; how he has suffered harassment in a hostile environment, although internationally he is respected as the spiritual leader of three hundred million Orthodox Christians; the way extremists have threatened the patriarch with insults and assaults; how he has been cursed and derided, and has seen the patriarchate's windows shattered by rocks; how his effigy has been burned by fanatics outside the walls of the enclave and live grenades have been thrown into the courtyard of the Phanar — even maiming clergy and staff; and the way he has been jeered, his life verifiably threatened. Others of these intellectuals have noted the way petty bureaucrats have taken pleasure in summoning Bartholomew to their offices for questioning about irrelevant issues or obliged him to testify in small claims courts on trivial real estate matters; how his efforts or petitions for basic repairs to the few facilities of the patriarchal offices are often blocked or delayed without reason; how rumors are spread about whatever he says and does when traveling abroad; and the way that the sacred relics of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom gifted by Pope John Paul II to the Ecumenical Patriarchate were delayed for a prolonged period at Istanbul Atatürk Airport — so long that the faithful gathered at the Patriarchal Church of St. George for hours were obliged to leave after hours of anticipation; or — finally and most heartbreakingly — the endless promises, albeit fruitless promises, about reopening the Theological School of Halki, discussing its fate behind closed doors and frequently without the knowledge or participation of the patriarch.
The Patriarchal Theological School of Halki
The patriarchate's international Theological School of Halki (on the Princes' Islands' Heybeliada) was significantly diminished in the 1950s and forcefully closed in 1971. The closure breaches Article 40 of the Treaty of Lausanne and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Formerly, Halki served as the foremost and formative seminary of the (especially, but not only) Greek-speaking Orthodox world. Bartholomew laments:
Whenever I travel to Halki — and I am there very often over the last twenty-five years for retreat and relaxation in order to withdraw from the daily drudgery of the Phanar — it pains me to see the classrooms and corridors empty. My heart feels constricted. This was a place buzzing with life. It's a sin and a shame — a crime actually. Forty years of forced closure, of imposed silence.
During its 127 years of operation (from 1844 to 1971), almost one thousand students graduated from the school, of which 330 became bishops; twelve rose to the ecumenical patriarchal throne; two were elected patriarchs of Alexandria; three became patriarchs of Antioch; one became exarch ofthe Bulgarians; four were ordained archbishops of Athens; one became archbishop of Albania; and 318 were ordained priests. Graduates have also included numerous Orthodox Christians from around the world — from Arabic- and Slavic-speaking regions — thereby sealing the school's international character. Even lay graduates acquired quasi-clerical status when they received the degree of master of Orthodox theology.
It is the patriarch's dream and prayer to reopen this nineteenth-century theological school. He persistently underlines the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and Turkey's obligation both to recognize the legal status of the patriarchate as being ecumenical in scope and nature, as well as to respect its right to educate its clergy and leaders. In Turkey the Ecumenical Patriarchate is simply and solely recognized as a regular institution, while Turkish law from 1936 to this day places all Orthodox Christian property under the General Directorate of Foundations, which has the authority to dismiss foundations and seize property. Moreover, a 1974 ruling of the Turkish Supreme Court forbids the purchase or sale of property by minority groups. "But I am patient," Bartholomew notes with composure. "I want this so much."
In the United States the archons (the Order of Saint Andrew) have long supported and defended the religious freedom and rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to reopen the theological seminary at Halki by lobbying the Congress of the United States, meeting with the highest European and Turkish officials, and organizing international conferences on religious freedom to keep alive the memory of this vital school that was illegally and irrationally forced to close, as well as to advance the overall spiritual mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. As a result of the archons' efforts, Halki has received widespread attention — President Bill Clinton visited the seminary in 1999, urging the then Turkish president Suleyman Demirel to permit its reopening; in 1998, both houses of the US Congress passed resolutions that supported the reopening of Halki; the European Union has included the issue as part of its negotiations over Turkish accession; and in a speech before the Turkish parliament in 2009, President Barack Obama reaffirmed the importance of reopening the school:
Freedom of religion and expression lead to a strong and vibrant civil society that only strengthens the state, which is why steps like reopening the Halki seminary will send such an important signal inside Turkey and beyond. An enduring commitment to the rule of law is the only way to achieve the security that comes from justice for all.
The cause also received global attention on the widely viewed American television program 60 Minutes when host Bob Simon interviewed the patriarch in 2009, asking him how he felt about this ill-treatment and injustice. Bartholomew boldly replied, "We don't feel that we enjoy our full rights as Turkish citizens. ... Still, we prefer to stay here ... in our Jerusalem, even [if we feel] crucified sometimes." Probed further as to whether he feels crucified, the world gasped as Bartholomew firmly uttered with all sincerity and integrity: "Yes. I do." Turkish authorities were quick to deny any alleged mistreatment, dismissing the patriarch's remarks as "an undesired slip of the tongue."
Yet the reopening of Halki is much more than a matter of legal application or political reaction. It is also much more than emotional connection or historical vindication. Above all, it is the moral obligation of a democratic republic to its lawful and law-abiding citizens — and especially one of its most prominent and prestigious institutions — from whom Turkey only stands to benefit and profit.
An Ecumenical Patriarch for an Ecumenical Patriarchate
And in another denigrating turn of events, even as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised the return of more properties to minority groups, the street that runs before the Ecumenical Patriarchate was recently renamed after a deceased controversial Turkish politician in northern Greece. Turkish authorities continue to belittle Bartholomew by referring to him as a local religious leader. They stubbornly refuse to label him by his office as "ecumenical patriarch," a phrase adopted in the sixth century to denote his wider pastoral and supranational ministry within the federation of independent Orthodox churches, which medieval historian Dimitri Obolensky referred to as the "Byzantine commonwealth."
Leading journalists in Turkey support the patriarch's claim and use of the title; universities have begun publicly recognizing him and awarding him honorary doctorates as "ecumenical patriarch" — the first academic institution in Turkey boldly to set right this wrong was Bogaziçi University in Istanbul in 2013. After all, since when does a state determine the identity of a religious or civil institution? Moreover, for centuries the Ottoman Empire had no problem with the "ecumenical" status of the patriarchate — could the Turkish Republic possibly be less tolerant?
The Reality of Hope
Still, in the last years, whether in its ambition for accession to the European Union, or in an effort to realize the democratic ideal pledged by Kemal Atatürk, the first president and founder of its democracy, Turkey has endeavored to forge new ground in its relationship to minorities by striving to create an atmosphere of equal, social, and human rights. The clearest evidence of this spirit today is in the regulation of clerical affairs of the patriarchate and the restoration of rightful ownership of properties belonging to minorities, including — but not only — the Greek community. However, this by no means implies a parallel decline in nationalism, racism, or even religious fanaticism, which Bartholomew has repeatedly denounced as the worst form of intolerance and bigotry.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Bartholomew by John Chryssavgis. Copyright © 2016 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Foreword by His Holiness Pope Francis, ix,Prologue, xiii,
Introduction, xvii,
1. A Delicate Mosaic Bridge Builder in a Volatile World, 3,
2. Heart Wide Open Ecumenical Advocate to the Christian World, 39,
3. From Imvros to Istanbul Childhood, Education, Ordination, 81,
4. A Culture of Communion Visionary Facilitator of Orthodox Unity, 135,
5. The Green Patriarch Caring about This World as the Next, 175,
6. Profile of a Patriarch Personal and Pastoral Dimensions, 211,
Conclusion, 243,
Acknowledgments, 259,
Bibliography, 261,
Index, 263,
About the Author, 271,