ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH RECEIVES HONORIS CAUSA DEGREE FROM ANTONIANUM

 

Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

On 21 October His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome during the ceremony for the solemn inauguration of the 2020–2021 academic year. The degree was conferred by Brother Michael Perry, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor and Grand Chancellor of the University.

Delivering the Laudatio, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, reflected that the Ecumenical Patriarch had a unique relationship with Pope Francis and had always encouraged and actively pursued Christian unity and full communion. “For Bartholomew I”, he added, “faith in creation stimulates the ecumenical process. It constitutes a further common element, beyond those of doctrinal nature”.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, also presented an address [IT] in which he recalled that Pope Francis at the very beginning of his encyclical Laudato si’ had mentioned the Ecumenical Patriarch as a pioneer of the deepened consciousness of ecology for faith communities and for the entire world.

Video of event.

Photo © Siciliani-Gennari/SIR