OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

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Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 15, 2025
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, this week, we are privileged to welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Washington, DC.

He is the spiritual leader and the first among equals of Orthodox Christianity worldwide. The patriarch is coming to receive the Templeton Prize, a very prestigious award in religion and science. I know many Orthodox Americans hold him in very high regard and will be very excited to have him visit our country.

Now, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I really appreciate the fact that he has used his spiritual authority to ensure that Orthodox believers in areas of Ukraine, formerly dominated by Russia, have the opportunity to practice their Orthodox faith through institutions that do not answer to the Kremlin as the Russian Orthodox Church has since Stalin's time.

On behalf of Greek Orthodox Iowans, such as those who attend the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Des Moines, IA, I welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the United States.

May God bless his ministry.

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