Celebrating20 Years of Patriarchal Ministry - Order of Saint Andrew ...

2011 annual ReportCelebrating20 Years of Patriarchal Ministry

The Order’s fundamental goal andmission is to promote the religiousfreedom, wellbeing and advancement ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate, which isheadquartered in Istanbul, Turkey.The Annual Report is published annuallyby the Order of Saint Andrew Archons ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate. © 201120John J. Mindala IIEditor & Graphic DesignerOrder of Saint AndrewArchons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate8 E. 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106P] 212 570 3550 F] 212 774 0214E] archons@goarch.orgHis Eminence, Archbishop DemetriosExarch of the Ecumenical PatriarchateRev. Alexander KarloutsosSpiritual AdvisorExecutive CommitteeAnthony J. Limberakis, M.D.,Aktouarios, National CommanderNicholas J. Bouras, DepoutatosNational Vice CommanderJohn Halecky, Jr., EkdikosSecretaryJames C. Fountas, DepoutatosTreasurerFunctionariesChristopher Stratakis, Esq., NotariosLegal CounselorGeorge Demacopoulos, PhDDidaskalos Tou Genous, HistorianAlexander Pritsos, HieromnimonSergeant-at-ArmsAndreas D. Comodromos, CPADikaiophylaxAssistant TreasurerStay Connected!www.patriarchate.orgwww.goarch.orgwww.archons.orgBecome a Fan of our page!facebook.com/OrderStAndrewBecome a Follower!twitter.com/OrderStAndrewWatch our channel!youtube.com/OrderStAndrewView our Photostream!SUPPORT RELIGIOUS FREEDOMFOR THE MOTHER CHURCH!Make an online donation atarchons.org/donatePhotos by: N. Manginas, D. Panagosand J. MindalaWith profound respect,the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Americaoffer this Annual Report to our worldwide spiritual father,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomewon the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his election and enthronement;his Exarch in the United States, Archbishop Demetrios of America;the Metropolitans and Orthodox Hierarchy in America;the Clergy, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,all Orthodox Faithful and People of Goodwillwith the pledge that The Order of Saint Andrewwill continue the good fightfor the full and complete religious freedomof the Holy and Great Mother Church of Constantinopleuntil the bells of freedom can be heard emanating from the Phanar!Respectfully Submitted,In the Service of the Ecumenical PatriarchateArchon AktouariosNational CommanderOctober 15, 2011ON THE COVER: His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew enthroned in SaintGeorge Cathedral, Istanbul, on November 2, 1991. (Photo by Archon Dimitrios Panagos)

2011 annual ReportCONGRATULATORY LETTERfrom His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew2LETTER OF GREETINGfrom His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios3EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Religious Freedom Mission of the Order of Saint AndrewArchons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Americaby National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D.4A YEAR IN REVIEWThe reader is offered a pictorial highlight and chronology of theeducational, philanthropic and spiritual Archon initiatives of the past year9

22011 Annual Report

September 21, 2011The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 3

European Parliament on November 16-17, 2010 recommendedby the Order’s outstanding Legal Committeechaired by Archon Christopher Stratakis. The twodayConference superbly chaired by Archon George C.Rockas was transformational for all those who attended.In the subsequent pages of this Report the religious freedomissues will be reviewed, including the specific advanceswhich have been realized and a presentation of a chronologyof Archon events that highlight the educational, philanthropicand spiritual activities of the Order of SaintAndrew the Apostle.The major issues of the Religious Freedom Deficit inTurkey accompanied by succinct description of recentgovernment advances addressing those issues:Government interference in selection ofEcumenical PatriarchRequirement of Turkish Citizenship: PM Erdoğanwaived the five year residency requirement for TurkishCitizenship and has granted citizenship to 20 hierarchswho have applied for such; as of October 9, 2011,3 applications are still being evaluated and are pendingwithout any decisionThree applicants rejected including MetropolitanMichael of Austria, Metropolitan Joseph ofProikonnisos and Metropolitan Emmanuel ofFrance which poses a very serious compromise to theentire solution the government has proposed; will thegovernment arbitrarily reject other applicants?Open issues: 1970 Talimat granting Turkish authoritiesthe right to arbitrarily remove from candidacy canonicallyeligible hierarchs must be revokedLack of Legal PersonalityNo action; although the return of the PatriarchalOrphanage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate implies legalpersonality; this continues to be a work in progress thathas implications for the pledge of the Government to returnconfiscated propertiesNon-recognition of title EcumenicalPrime Minister Erdoğan stated in January 2009 that theuse of the title “ecumenical” should not be a matteron which the state should rule; however, the governmentcontinues to refer to the Ecumenical Patriarchateas the “Greek Orthodox Patriarchate”Property confiscationSignificant positive developments but challenges toimplementation remainReturn to Ecumenical Patriarchate by unanimousjudgment of the European Court of Human Rights(July 7, 2008), the Patriarchal Orphanage located inPringipos Island (Büyükada Island, the largest of thePrinces’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul)on November 30, 2010; the Ecumenical Patriarchatehas announced that the Orphanage will be transformedinto a Global Center for Peace and the Environment,a project supported by the Brookings Institution andits Managing Director Archon William AntholisAugust 27, 2011, the Turkish government signed historicdecree to return confiscated property to religiousminorities and to compensate the minorities for thoseproperties that were sold to third parties; the Regulationsto implement the decree were published on October 1,2011 and there are a number of concerns voiced by humanrights organizations and the religious minoritiesregarding such implementationClosure of Halki School of Theology,forcibly closed 40 years agoLittle or no progress, but as Orthodox Christians, weremain hopeful and optimisticThe position of the Order of Saint Andrew and for humanrights organizations in general is that the issue ofreligious freedom and human rights is not one ofreciprocity and not of quid pro quo statusCelebration by His All-Holiness of Divine Liturgyof the Feastday of the Dormition of the Mother of GodAugust 15, 2010 and again on August 15, 2011,at Soumela MonasteryFirst time in more than 80 years, religious services allowedto be conducted by Government at the 1,600-yearoldmonastery on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Between10,000 and 20,000 Christians from Greece, Georgiaand Russia were present to witness this historic event,south of Trabzon.Turkish authorities reopened the Byzantine-era monastery- built nearly 300 meters (1000 feet) into the side ofa mountain - for once yearly worshipOpen Issues: Does the church need “permission” to conductreligious services at its historic shrines?The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 5

Forty-two new Archons invested at the ArchdiocesanCathedral of the Holy TrinityNEW YORkThe solemn Archon Investiture service was held on OctoberOCT 201031, at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.31Archbishop Demetrios presented each Archon with theCross of St. Andrew, along with the official PatriarchalCertificate specifying the offikion designated for each Archon.Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, Metropolitan Evangelos of NewJersey and Bishop Savas of Troas also participated in the investitureceremony.Following the investiture, Archbishop Demetrios, on behalf of theArchons, presented two pectoral crosses to Fr. Karloutsos and hiswife, Presbytera Xanthi marking their fortieth wedding anniversaryand his fortieth anniversary of ordination to the Holy Priesthood.Pamela James, beloved niece of Vice Commander Bouras, createdthe crosses which were crafted in silver and gold and replicated to thecrosses Archons are bestowed at their investiture. •On behalf of the Archons, Archbishop Demetrios presented two pectoral crossesto Fr. Karloutsos and his wife, Presbytera Xanthi, which marked their fortiethwedding anniversary and his fortieth anniversary of ordination to the HolyPriesthood.Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, and Bishop Savas of Troas invested forty-two Archons on Sunday,October 31, including [L-R] Michael Karloutsos; William John Antholis, PhD; Demosthenes Vasiliou; Aristotle Papanikolaou, PhD; Andrew Liveris; and TheodorePedas.102011 Annual Report

The European Parliament–site of the first InternationalArchon Religious Freedom conferenceBRUSSELSThe two-day meeting, entitled, “Religious Freedom:NOV 2010Turkey’s Bridge to the European Union,” was held at the16-17 European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, November 16-17, 2010. The symposium brought together over thirtyrenowned scholars, religious freedom and human rights advocates,journalists, diplomats, parliamentarians, religious leaders, representativesof the Government of Turkey, lawyers and members ofminority communities. They presented complex, diverse and contrastingviewpoints and perspectives on the status of religious freedomin Turkey to nearly two-hundred participants from across theUnited States, Turkey and Europe. •[Right, Top] On behalf of the Archons, National Commander Limberakis, togetherwith European Archon Pammakaristos President Sassayiannis, commendEgemen Bagis for his efforts to improve human rights and religious freedom inTurkey. [Left, Bottom] His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France extendsthe Patriarchal Exhortation of His All Holiness Bartholomew, left, and ArchonGeorge C. Rockas, Esq. conference chairman, makes announcements, right.[Below] His Excellency Egemen Bagis addresses speakers and participants.122011 Annual Report

[Left, Top] Archbishop Demetrios thanks the Archons of America and Archons of[Left, Middle] Archon Laki Vingasrepresents the Greek Orthodox minority during a panel discussion of all religiousminorities. [Left, bottom] Archon John Zavitsanos, left, and PammakaristosBrotherhood President Odysseus Sassayiannis, right. [Above] Participants hadthe opportunity to visit the Monastery of Chevtogne, founded in 1925.The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 13

International Archon Religious Freedom ConferenceAngela Wu Howard, International Law Director of the Becket Fund for ReligiousLiberty, (second from right) moderates a group of panelists discussing the legaland humanitarian perspectives of religious freedom.Florida Regional Commander Dr. Ted Vlahos and Archon Stephen Georgesonspeak with Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Vice Chair of the U.S. Commssion onInternational Religious Freedom, and German European Parliamentarian Dr.Renate Sommer.Turkish journalist Mustafa Akyol speaks on views from the Turkish side, referenc-leader of the Orthodox people following the Ottoman capture of Constantinoplein 1453 offering unique insight to the Turkish perspective.Dr. Andrew Ekonomou, Senior Counsel of the ACLJ and ECLJ, focused on thetopic, “Finding Answers in International Forums, including the European Courtof Human Rights.”The Honorable Howard W. Gutman, US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium,hosted a reception at the US Embassy for all conference speakers and participants.Archbishop Demetrios, Ambassador Gutman and National CommanderLimberakis with members of the Syriac Orthodox delegation, led by JohnyMesso, president of the Syriac Universal Alliance.Dr. Steven Ealy, Senior Fellow of the Liberty Fund, (sixth from left) moderates a symposium composed of religious freedom experts from around the world (L-R):Dr. Otmar Oehring, Johny Meso, Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Dilek Kurban, Orhan Kemal Cengiz, Mustafa Akyol, W. Cole Durham, Dr. Bican Sahin, Angela Wu Howard,and Muna B. Ndulo. The symposium allowed for an interactive exchange among panelists that focused on issues faced by religious minorities in Turkey.142011 Annual Report

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 31 32 33 34 35123456789101112His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of AmericaPrimate, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaExarch of the Ecumenical PatriarchateNEW YORK, NEW YORKHis Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of Francethe European UnionPARIS, FRANCEHis Excellency Egemen BagisMinister for E.U. Affairs and Chief NegotiatorREPUBLIC OF TURKEYMustafa AkyolJournalist and Political CommentatorISTANBUL, TURKEYHis Eminence Archbishop Aram AteshianRepresentative of the Armenian CommunityISTANBUL, TURKEYDogan BermekPresident, AVF Federation of Alevi FoundationsISTANBUL, TURKEYOrhan kemal CengizLawyer, Human Rights Defender and NewspaperColumnistIZMIR, TURKEYW. Cole Durham, Jr.Susan Young Gates University, Professor of Law; Director,International Center for Law & Religious Studies; J.Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young UniversityPROVO, UTAHDr. Steven EalySenior Fellow, Liberty FundINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANAAndrew EkonomouPhD, Senior Counsel of the American Center for Law &Justice & the European Centre for Law and JusticeATLANTA, GEORGIAWilly FautreDirector, Human Rights Without Frontiers InternationalBRUSSELS, BELGIUMProf. Dr. Hüseyin HatemiProfessor Istanbul University School of Law and Maltepe UniversityISTANBUL, TURKEY131415161718192021222324kezban HatemiAttorneyISTANBUL, TURKEYDilek kurbanTurkish Economic and Social Studies FoundationISTANBUL, TURKEYDr. Anthony J. LimberakisNational Commander, Order of Saint Andrew the ApostleArchons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in AmericaPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIAJohny MessoPresident, Syriac Universal AllianceHENGELO, NETHERLANDSFr. Dr. Claudio MongePresident, Union of Religions in TurkeyISTANBUL, TURKEYMuna B. NduloProfessor of Law, Cornell Law School; Director, Cornell’sInstitute for African Development; Human Rights Advocateand HumanitarianITHACA, NEW YORKDr. Otmar OehringGERMANYDr. Emre ÖktemAssociate Professor, Galatasaray UniversityISTANBUL, TURKEYJamie Mayor OrejaMember, European ParliamentSPAINDr. Elizabeth ProdromouVice Chair, United States Commission on InternationalReligious FreedomWASHINGTON, D.C.Grégor PuppinckPhD, Director, European Centre of Law and JusticeSTRASBOURG, FRANCEGeorge C. Rockas, Esq.Chairman, Conference Planning CommitteeBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS2526272829303132333435Dr. Bican SahinAssistant Professor, Hacettepe UniversityVice President, Association of Liberal ThinkingANKARA, TURKEYOdysseus F. SassayiannisPresident, Brotherhood of Pammakaristos, Archons ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate in EuropeGREECERabbi Arthur SchneierPresident and FounderAppeal of Conscience FoundationNEW YORK, NEW YORKJames J. SilkClinical Professor of Law, Allard K. Lowenstein International;Human Rights Clinic Executive Director, Orville H.Schell Jr. Center for International Human RightsYALE LAW SCHOOLDr. Renate SommerMember, European ParliamentGERMANYkonrad SzymanskiMember, European ParliamentPOLANDRodi kratsa TsagaropoulouVice President of the European ParliamentGREECERiza TürmenFormer Judge, European Court of Human RightsTURKEYLakis VingasCouncil Member, General Directorate of FoundationsRepresentative of the Non Muslim FoundationsISTANBUL, TURKEYAngela Wu HowardInternational Law Director, Becket Fund for ReligiousLibertyWASHINGTON, D.C.Mine YildirimMember, Committee of Religious and Legal AffairsAssociation of Protestant ChurchesISTANBUL, TURKEYThe Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 15

Confiscated Patriarchal Orphanage returned on theFeastday of Saint Andrew the ApostleISTANBULNOV 201029Turkey complied with a European Court of Human Rights rulingon Monday and returned a 19th-century orphanage to theEcumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, the center of OrthodoxChristianity around the world.The move is likely to appease the European Union which also calls on theTurkish government to reopen a Greek Orthodox seminary and return dozensof other properties such as school buildings and churches seized fromJewish and Christian foundations decades ago.“It is an important development to show respect for law, democracy andminorities,” said Cem Murat Sofuoglu, an attorney for the patriarchate,after receiving the title deed. “A right has been taken back.”Turkey took control of the 19th-century building in 1997, many years afterit was abandoned, on the grounds that it belonged to another foundationand had fallen into disuse.The Patriarchate, however, said the government had refused to issued thenecessary permits for the maintenance and repair of the structure, one ofthe largest wooden buildings in the world.The European court ruled in June that the land was registered to the patriarchate,giving it de facto legal status to the building. Turkey is alsounder pressure to reopen a theology school on an island outside Istanbulthat trained generations of church leaders, including Ecumenical PatriarchBartholomew I, until it was closed by Turkey in 1971. The official argumentfor the seminary’s closure is that a religious institution without governmentoversight is not compatible with the secular institutionsof Turkey, a country where allMuslim clerics are trained and paid bythe government.His All Holiness with Archon Theofanis Economidis who visited the EcumenicalPatriarchate during a pilgrimage, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimosof San Francisco (right).The patriarchate says Ankara refuses to open the seminary because it wantsto prevent the church from raising new leaders. The church’s leader has tobe a Turkish citizen, which makes it difficult for the dwindling Greek communityof several thousand to produce any candidates.But in a move to address that problem, Prime Minister Recep TayyipErdogan’s government recently granted Turkish citizenship to 12 seniorclerics at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, so that they could succeed the70-year-old Bartholomew.The patriarchate in Istanbul dates from the Orthodox Greek ByzantineEmpire, which collapsed when the Muslim Ottoman Turks conquered thecity in 1453. •[Source: Associated Press]162011 Annual Report

Archons honor Ambassador Kaskarelis of Greeceduring tribute dinnerNEW YORkHis Excellency Vassilis Kaskarelis,FEB 2011Ambassador of Greece to the United States17was honored for his extraordinary supportof religious freedom for the EcumenicalPatriarchate by the Order of Saint Andrew. Theevent was held on Thursday, February 17, 2011,at the Carlyle Hotel in New York and hosted byNational Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras.That evening, on behalf of the Order, HisEminence Archbishop Demetrios of America togetherwith the National Commander and officersJohn Halecky, James Fountas and Alex Pritsos presentedAmbassador Kaskarelis with a commemorative plaque, reading:“With profound gratitude and deep appreciation for his extraordinarysupport of religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchateand in recognition for being honored as ‘Diplomat of the Year for2011.’”Following the presentation, the Ambassador thanked the Order andreflected on the importance of the institution of the EcumenicalPatriarchate, saying, “It goes without saying that the EcumenicalPatriarchate is of profound importance to Orthodox believers everywhere.It is our common point of reference. It is the lighthouse thatguides our journey.” His Excellency continued, “This Sacred institutionhas endured for more than seventeen centuries, always envisioningthe future, evolving in accordance with the spiritual needs of itsfaithful, navigating the contemporary world.” His Excellency alsocommended the Archons on organizing their first-ever InternationalReligious Freedom Conference held at the European Parliamentin Brussels. He spoke about how he witnessed the Archons “diligenceand dedication” in securing religious freedom rights forthe Ecumenical Patriarchate, as he served as Ambassador to theEuropean Union in Brussels. •[L-R] Ambassador Kaskarelis greets Archons Andrew Athens; Constantine Caras and Andrew Manatos; Christopher Stratakis, legal counselor; and poses with Dr.Cary Limberakis and his wife, Alexis, Dr. Maria Limberakis, Anna Kaskarelis, Ambassador Kaskarelis, National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas, NationalCommander Dr. Limberakis, Peter Skeadas, and Stephen Cherpelis.Archon Mathews appointed District One Regional CommanderNEW YORkNikiforos Mathews, Archon Ekdikos, was appointedRegional Commander for DistrictJAN 201113One. “We are looking forward to working withNikiforos as we seek to advance our religious freedommission on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate inNY,” stated National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis,MD.Archon Mathews, who is of Imvrian background, is married withtwo children. He is a member of the community and parish councilof the Annunciation in Stamford, Connecticut, where his father, Fr.Constantine Mathews, serves as the parish priest.Archon Mathews practices as a finance attorney in OrrickHerrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s New York office and onceserved as a law clerk to the Hon. Archon Nicholas Tsoucalasin the United States Court of International Trade. From1999 to 2007, Archon Mathews held a commission as aCaptain in the United States Army Reserve, where he wasqualified to practice as a Judge Advocate. A veteran ofboth Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation EnduringFreedom, he served as an Operational and AdministrativeLaw attorney in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Amongother honors, Archon Mathews was awarded the Meritorious ServiceMedal in connection with his military service. •The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 19

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM MISSIONTO THE EUROPEAN UNIONFOR THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLEWith the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop DemetriosAPR 2011of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a2-10delegation from the Order of Saint Andrew, participatedin a rigorous eight-day mission to the European Unionin pursuit of religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.Simultaneously, they also endorsed the accession of Turkey tothe EU. The delegation traveled April 2-10, and was guided byHis Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, director of theLiaison Office of the Orthodox Church to the European Union andNational Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D. •BERLIN, GERMANYLeading EU Stateand home to 4 million TurksISTANBUL, TURkEYAudience withEcumenical Patriarch BartholomewBUDAPEST, HUNGARYHolds current EU presidencyANkARA, TURkEYCapital of Turkey2nd largest city after IstanbulThe delegation met with His Excellency Balint Odor, the Hungarian deputy statesecretary for European affairs, European Director, at the Foreign Ministry.Archons delegation with the Honorable Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, U.S.Ambassador to Hungary.202011 Annual Report

On Monday, April 4, 2011, the Archon delegation met with His Excellency ZsoltSemjen, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary at the Hungarian Parliament.Archon Stephen Georgeson presents His All-Holiness with all 42 of the stateresolutions adopted to date in support of religious freedom for the EcumenicalPatriarchate.Metropolitan Augoustinos of Germany and the National Commander with theHon. Philip Murphy, U.S. Ambassador to Germany, at the U.S. Embassy, Berlin.Archon delegation met with His Excellency Dimitris Rallis, Greek Ambassador inBerlin, during their religious freedom mission to the European Union.Archon delegation with Deputy Secretary General F.H. Burak Erdenir, Ph.D., atSecretariat General for E.U. Affairs, Ankara.2002: National Vice Commander Nicholas J.Bouras with Mrs. Robert Pearson, wife of U.S.Ambassador to Turkey, at the commemorative9/11 memorial orchard, at Embassy Ankara.2011: Nine years later, National Commander Dr.Limberakis stands with Ambassador Francis J.Ricciardone, at the commemorative 9/11 memorialorchard, at Embassy Ankara.The Archon delegation made a special presentation to the newly-consecrated Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Proussa, at the Phanar.The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 21

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESOLUTIONSU.S. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESOLUTION44 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED IN 37 STATESREPRESENTING 85 % OF THE UNITED STATES POPULATIONUPDATEALABAMA ALASKA ARIZONA ARKANSAS CALIFORNIASJR 73Adopted by House and Senateon 5/2007SJR 28 - Introduced on 2/18/2010Adopted by Senate 4/5/2010Adopted by House 4/11/2010HR 15 - Introduced on 2/23/2010Adoption PendingHCM 2009Introduced on 1/17/2008Adopted by House 3/18/2008Adopted by Senate 5/22/2008SCR 3Introduced on 1/22/2009Adopted by Senate on 2/18/09Adopted by House 3/12/2009SJR 17Introduced on 9/10/2007Adopted by Senate 2/28/2008Adopted by Assembly 8/30/2008COLORADO CONNECTICUT DELAWARE FLORIDA GEORGIAHJR 1014Adopted by House and Senateon 4/7/2011Adopted on 4/30/2010 HR 9Introduced on 3/10/2009Adopted on 3/19/2009HM 191Introduced on 3/2/2010Adopted on 4/23/2010SM 314Introduced on 3/1/2010Adopted on 4/28/2010HR 415Adopted by House 4/2007SR 1038Introduced on 2/27/2008Adopted by Senate 3/6/2008HAWAII IDAHO ILLINOIS INDIANA IOWASCR 57 and SR 31Introduced on 3/4/2011Adoption PendingNo resolution has beenintroduced at this time.HR 666Introduced on 8/10/2007Adopted on 10/4/2007SR 100Introduced on 2/25/2009Adoption PendingSR 4Introduced on 1/5/2011Adoption PendingHR 27Introduced on 3/12/2009Adopted on 3/23/2009KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MAINE MARYLANDSR 1807Introduced on 1/6/2011Adopted by Senate 2/3/2011HR 244Adopted on 3/26/2008SR 109Adopted by Senate 6/2007HP 924Introduced on 3/25/2009Adopted by House 3/31/2009Adopted by Senate 4/2/2009HJR 5Introduced on 3/14/2008Adoption PendingMASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN MINNESOTA MISSISSIPPI MISSOURIAdopted on 4/16/2008 SCR 6Introduced on 3/19/2009Adopted by House 3/19/2009Adopted by Senate 3/25/2009SR 178Introduced on 4/2/2008Adoption PendingIntroduced on 3/19/2008Adopted by House 3/31/2008Adopted by Senate 4/16/2008No resolution has beenintroduced at this time.MONTANA NEBRASKA NEVADA NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEYNo resolution has beenintroduced at this time.LR 273Introduced 1/6/2010Adopted on 4/13/2010ACR 31Adopted by Assembly andSenate on 5/6/2009No resolution has beenintroduced at this time.SJR 11Adopted by Senate and House6/2006NEW MEXICO NEW YORK NORTH CAROLINA NORTH DAKOTA OHIOHM 39Introduced on 2/2/2010Adopted by House 2/13/2010Adopted by Senate and House4/1/2011Adopted on 6/28/2010 SCR 4014Introduced 1/26/2010Adopted on 3/24/2011SCR 3Introduced on 2/1/2011Adoption Pending222011 Annual Report

TAKE ACTIONfor your State to pass a Resolution forReligious Freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate!Contact Archon Stephen Georgeson, National Coordinator for the State Resolutions Projectspgeorgeson@yahoo.comOKLAHOMA OREGON PENNSYLVANIA RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINASR 54Introduced on 2/19/2008Adopted on 3/24/2008SJR 16Introduced on 5/4/2009Adopted by Senate on 5/6/2009Adopted by House on 6/1/2009HR 876Adopted by House 11/2006SR 188Introduced on 10/24/2007Adopted by Senate 3/10/2008SR 895Adopted by Senate 3/2007HR 4727Introduced on 2/20/2008Adopted by House on 4/9/2008SR 735Adopted by Senate 5/2007SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE TEXAS UTAH VERMONTNo resolution has beenintroduced at this time.SJR 535Adopted by Senate 6/2007Adopted by House on 4/17/2008HCR 1670Introduced on 5/1/2011Adopted on 5/5/2011SR 1006Adopted on 5/16/2011SR 1Introduced on 1/23/2009Adopted on 2/5/2009HR 2Introduced on 2/3/2009Adopted on 2/19/2009JRS 47Introduced on 2/9/2010Adopted on 5/12/2010VIRGINIA WASHINGTON WEST VIRGINIA WISCONSIN WYOMINGHJ 126Introduced on 1/9/2008Adoption PendingHJM 4003Introduced on 1/15/2009Adoption PendingHCR 37Introduced on 2/11/2008Adopted by House 3/3/2008Adopted by Senate 3/8/2008SR 10Introduced on 3/4/2010Adopted on 4/22/2010No resolution has beenintroduced at this time.Learn more about the Archons efforts toward the Religious Freedom Project archons.org / resolutions44 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESOLUTIONSADOPTED IN 37 STATESREPRESENTING 85 %OF THE UNITED STATES POPULATIONStates highlighted in:LIGHT BLUE indicates that the resolution has been introduced.GOLDDARk BLUE indicates no resolution has been introduced at this time.The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 23

1,000 Letters in support of Religious Freedomsent to Texas State RepresentativesExtraordinary Archon efforts lead to adopted resolution in the face of strong oppositionAUSTINThe Order of Saint Andrew is proud to announce that whilein the face of strong opposition by Turkish-Americans fightingto counter our stateresolution efforts, nearlyRELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESOLUTIONSMAR 201125Chris PappasArchon Prostatis Ton GrammatonIn 2009, Senator Joan Huffman (Houston) introduces a jointReligious Freedom Resolution in the Senate. Shortly thereafter,this resolution passes in the Senate.Representative Dennis Bonnen then introduces Resolution inHouse–which adjourns one week early–and therefore kills theresolution.In 2010, Archons Chris Pappas and John Zavitsanosmobilize and work behind the scenes to reintroducethis resolution.Early in the year 2011, Senator Huffman reintroducesa separate Senate Resolution and Representative Bonnenintroduces a separate House Resolution. However, theTurkish American community organizes and counters our efforts.John ZavitsanosArchon Ekdikos Senator Huffman then withdraws the Resolution which in 99 times out of 100would signal the ‘death knell’ for any withdrawn legislation. Archon Pappas1,000 Orthodox Christians fromthe Houston, Dallas and Austinparishes of the Greek OrthodoxArchdiocese of America ralliedtogether and wrote letters totheir state representatives callingfor religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Theirpersuasive letters lead to the adoption of HCR 1670 and SR 1006.We congratulate His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver,Representative Bonnen, Archons Chris Pappas, John Zavitsanos,Frank Mihalopoulos, StephenGeorgeson, Mike Manatos, BillMiller, Thomas Suehs and allthe clergy and laity responsiblefor this huge accomplishment!Below is a recap of events that ledThomas SuehsArchon-electRESOLUTIONADOPTED!Frank MihalopoulosArchon Depoutatosto the passage of these imporantresolutions:refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer and Archons begin to redouble their efforts incoordination with Metropolitan Isaiah, clergy and Orthodox Christian faithfulin the Houston, Dallas and Austin areas. Over 1,000 letters are sentfrom parishioners of Annunciation Cathedral in Houston,Holy Trinity Cathedral in Dallas and Holy TransfigurationChurch in Austin– an unprecedented milestone!Archon Tom Suehs (then Archon-candidate),along with other Archons in the area, work ceaselessly toreintroduce the withdrawn resolution before legislationadjourns. In May 2011, Senator John Whitmire reintroducesthe Religious Freedom Resolution in the Senate andalong with Representative Bonnen in the House, despite allegedpressure from Dallas based Lockheed Martin. Finally, in June 2011, both the Senate and House passReligious Freedom Resolutions! •BISMARCkThe NorthMAR 2011Dakota state24 Senate hasadopted a resolutionin support of theEcumenical Patriarchate.With this action, the North DakotaSenate joins 33 other states thathave adopted similar resolutions ofsupport.The resolution was sponsoredby Senator Tim Mathern andRepresentative Andrew Maragos.The resolution has the active supportof the leadership of the twolargest Christian denominations inthe state: the Evangelical LutheranChurch in America and the NorthDakota Catholic Conference ofBishops, as well as the membersof the Orthodox communities inNorth Dakota.RESOLUTIONADOPTED!NORTHDAkOTASenator Mathern commented,“This was avictory for the spirit ofecumenism in NorthDakota and an expressionof support for oursisters and brothers inTurkey.”The effort in North Dakota is beingled by Father Oliver Herbel of HolyResurrection Orthodox Church inFargo, and Father Anastassy Fehrof Saint Peter the Aleut OrthodoxChurch in Minot.Father Herbel said, “This resolutionis important to the Orthodoxin North Dakota because of theEcumenical Patriarch’s leadershipin world wide Orthodox administration.We are proud and gratifiedthat the resolution has also receivedsupport from the Roman Catholicand Evangelical Lutheran Churchin America leadership in NorthDakota.” •DENVERThe ColoradoAPR 2011state Senate7 and House ofRepresentativesunanimously adopteda resolution in support of theEcumenical Patriarchate. With thisaction, the Colorado Senate andHouse join 35 other states that haveadopted similar resolutions of support.The resolution, sponsored byRepresentatives Lois Court, JohnKefalas and Senators Joyce Fosterand Nancy Spence.With the blessings of MetropolitanIsaiah of Denver, the effort inColorado was led by Dr. Gregory G.Papadeas, Regional Commander ofthe Archons, Order of St. Andrewthe Apostle of the 10th district.Representative Kefalas stated, “AsRESOLUTIONADOPTED!COLORADOthe only Greek-Americanin the Colorado GeneralAssembly, I am honoredto support the Greek-Orthodox communityand this legislative resolutionthat speaks to theimportance of upholding religiousfreedom.”Metropolitan Isaiah was honoredby offering the opening prayer tobegin the legislative day. He commented,“Our heritage has alwayssupported religious freedom for individuals.On that basis, we wouldlike to also see religious freedomfor our spiritual leader in Istanbul,Turkey!”Dr. Papadeas remarked, “Duringthis season of Great and HolyLent, this is an important statementon behalf and in defense ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate andfor all religious minorities living inTurkey!” •242011 Annual Report

NY Legislators present religious freedomletters to Archbishop DemetriosNEW YORkIn an exceptional action, both chambers of the New YorkMAY 2011State Legislature have signed letters urging the government12of a foreign country to practice greater religious tolerancewithin its borders. The documents were presented on May12 to Archbishop Demetrios of America, spiritual leader of theGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, by the Orthodox legislatorswho spearheaded the signature drive, Senate Majority LeaderDean Skelos, Senator Mike Gianaris and Assemblywomen AravellaSimotas and Nicole Malliotakis.All 62 members of the New York State Senate and 144 membersof the New York State Assembly have endorsed the respective letters,urging the government of Turkey to allow greater freedom tothe Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey and to EcumenicalPatriarch Bartholomew who is the spiritual leader of 300 millionOrthodox Christians throughout the world. The Order of St.Andrew the Apostle, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, anorganization whose mission is to defend and support the EcumenicalPatriarchate, has mounted a nationwide effort to have the legislativebodies of all 50 states sign similar Religious Freedom letters or passReligious Freedom have a similar effect. Thus far, 37 state legislatures,now including New York, have done so.RESOLUTIONADOPTED!In accepting the letters, Archbishop Demetrios of America stated,“this is an important moment for our Church as we receive a copyof these letters. We are proud that the almost unanimous acceptanceof these letters by the New York State Legislature was spearheadedby our four honorable Greek-American representatives to the StateGovernment,” he said and at a later point added: “The cause of religiousliberty is fundamental to the American way of life, and theState legislature of New York, under the leadership of Senate MajorityLeader Dean Skelos, Senator Michael Gianaris, and AssemblywomenAravella Simotasand Nicole Malliotakis, have NEW YORkborne a powerful witness to the rights ofall by underscoring the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”John Catsimatidis, New York businessman and National Coordinatorof Religious Freedom for the Order of St. Andrew, said, “This is animportant day for our Church. The leader of our faith, EcumenicalPatriarch Bartholomew, lies under siege from an abusive, hostile foreigngovernment. The letters signed by the New York State Senateand Assembly send a clear message across continents that religiouspersecution affects the world and cannot be tolerated. I am proudof our Legislature and especially proud of the Orthodox Christianswho headed the signature drive.”Among other things, the letters from the New York State Legislaturecall on the Turkish government to:Cease discrimination of the Ecumenical Patriarchate;Grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate international recognition, ecclesiasticsuccession, and the right to train its clergy;Respect of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s property rights; andRe-open the Halki Theological School located on an island offIstanbul which was forced to close in 1971, when Turkey passed alaw forbidding the establishment of private schools of higher learning.Others on hand to witness the presentation were Archon NationalCommander Dr. Anthony Limberakis of Philadelphia, JohnCatsimatidis of New York, leader of the National Religious FreedomTask Force and members of the Archon National Council andArchon Regional Commanders, including Nikiforos Mathews,Peter Skeadas and John Kassimatis, all of New York. •Dean Skelos; Archbishop Demetrios; Aravella Simotas; National Commander Limberakis; Nicole Malliotakis; Senator Mike Gianaris; Archon Regional CommanderNikiforos Mathews; and Consul General Aglaia Balta, upon presentation of the Religious Freedom Letters.The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 25

Archon Behrakis becomes first recipient of‘Bouras Stewardship Award’NEW YORkThe Order of Saint Andrew honored GeorgeJUN 2011D. Behrakis, Archon Depoutatos, on June55 by bestowing upon him the “Nicholas J.Bouras Award for Extraordinary ArchonStewardship.” Archon Behrakis became the first recipientof this prestigious award during a special tributedinner dance attended by more than two-hundredpeople at the Metropolitan Club in New York.After opening remarks, and an intermission of dinnerand dancing, the remarks of Vice CommanderNicholas J. Bouras, who was unable to attend thatevening, were delivered: “Although I prefer the honorof being anonymous, I am deeply honored that theOrder of Saint Andrew established the Nicholas J.Bouras Award in recognition of my humble service tothe Ecumenical Patriarchate and our Archdiocese. Ibelieve that my friend, George D. Behrakis, is worthyof any tribute given him. Therefore, I am bothpleased and flattered that he is the first recipient ofthis Archon Award recognizing exemplary service andstewardship to our Mother Church.“It is my prayer that the creation of the Bouras Award,which would have been impossible without my respectedparents and beloved wife Anna of blessed memory,will serve to perpetuate the tradition of Orthodoxyand Hellenism in this great land. Perpetuating traditions,after all, is not about preserving the ashes, butkeeping the flame alive. I sincerely hope that thisAward helps keep the flame alive by passing on theunwaning light of our Faith and the Olympic torch ofour heritage for generations to come.”Humbled by the recognition, Archon Behrakis graciouslyaccepted the Award later that evening saying,“We should all take a page out of Mr. Bouras: hislife, his successes. We all try to exemplify someone.Nicholas Bouras had the character, the integrity, hisChristian faith, his stewardship towards his churchwas par excellence and really cannot be duplicated. Itruly accept this award on behalf of my wife and myfamily.” •About theNICHOLAS J. BOURAS AWARDThe NationalCouncil ofthe Order ofSaint Andrewunanimouslyvoted in 2010to establishthe NicholasJ. BourasAward. TheAward will be presented annuallyto an individual whohas demonstrated extraordinaryand incomparablestewardship to the Order,enabling Archons to vigorouslypursue securing religiousfreedom for the MotherChurch of Constantinople.The Award is named afterNational Vice CommanderNicholas J. Bouras, ArchonDepoutatos, who himself hasdemonstrated remarkableleadership as a faithful son ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchateand exemplary steward of theGreek Orthodox Archdioceseof America.Churchman, World War IIhero, devoted husband ofhis beloved late wife Anna,Philanthropist, sincereChristian, Archon par excellenceand Industrialist areterms that have all describedthe life of Nicholas J. Bouras.[Top] Family members of the honoree included [L-R] Thanasi C. Liakos, Joanna B. Yianopoulos, Stephanie B. Liakos, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, Margoand George Behrakis, Archbishop Demetrios of America, Maria and Drake Behrakis, His Grace Bishop Philotheos of Meloa and National Commander Limberakis.262011 Annual Report

In MemoriamHis EminenceMetropolitan NicholasCarpatho-Russian Diocese1936–2011Metropolitan Nicholas poses with newlyinvestedCarpatho-Russian Archons in2009 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral ofthe Holy Trinity in New York.Dr. Dino AnagnostArchon ExarchosNew York, NY3/30/2011This past year,26 Archons of the Great Church of Christfell asleep unto the Lord.Stephen J. ReddingArchon HieromnimonSanta Barbara, CA1/11/2011Peter G. CalomirisArchon LambadariosWashington, D.C.7/22/2011Emmanuel FellouzisArchon ExarchosLargo, FL5/31/2011Eleftherios MoussasArchon OstiariosAnnapoles, MD5/21/2011John SchwikaArchon EkdikosWhite Haven, PA12/3/2010Dr. Constantine P. CavarnosArchon DepoutatosBelmont, MA3/3/2011Frank FinuiArchon HartophylaxCarlisle, PA2/10/2011William H. OldknowArchon DepoutatosPasadena, CA7/19/2011Edward SedorArchons OstiariosJohnson City, NY9/3/2011Sam ConstantArchon OrphanotrofosDaytona Beach, FL1/29/2011George J. kevgasArchon DepoutatosMethuen, MA9/22/2011Dr. Basil J. PhotosArchon AktouariosGlenview, IL2/13/2011James W. ShenasArchon DepoutatosStuart, FL1/31/2011Peter S. DemakosArchon DepoutatosStamford, CT10/21/2010Dr. Vasilios S. LambrosArchon AktouariosSan Marino, CA3/4/2011James W. PihosArchon SkevophylaxFt. Lauderdale, FL5/13/2011Spero TherosArchon OstiariosGrosse Pointe Woods, MI12/14/2010Jeremiah A. DrakeArchon Didaskalos Tou Genous2/28/2010Peter C. LatsisArchon DepoutatosCulver City, CA5/13/2011Charles L. PoulosArchon DepoutatosLincoln, MA3/9/2011James TsairisArchon ExarchosWestbury, NY4/03/2011John N. EconomouArchon EkdikosAkron, OH2/25/2011Dr. Nicholas D. MamalisRegional CommanderArchon AktouariosTulsa, OK6/30/2011Spiros G. RaftisArchon SkevophylaxPittsburgh, PA6/1/2011Harry C. VournasArchon HartoulariosSan Gabriel, CA6/27/2011May Their Memory Be EternalThe Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 27

Rev. John Chryssavgis leads Eighth Archon LentenRetreat on ‘An Ancient Faith for a Modern World’SOUTH BOUND BROOk, NJOver fifty Archons and their spouses were introduced to the world andMAR 2010thought of the early desert monastics of Egypt, Palestine and Sinai,25 particularly with reference to The Sayings of the Desert Fathers andThe Letters of Saints Barsanuphius and John, whose influence and relevancefor our time was highlighted with stories and anecdotes.Archon Peter Skeadas, Spirituality Committee chairman, organized the retreat.Archons John Halecky, Jr. and James C. Fountas coordinated the event withthe Ukrainian Center. In gratitude to Father Chryssavgis lessons, NationalCommander Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D. said, “Every year, we are blessed tohave a speaker who deepens our understanding of our holy Orthodox Christianfaith. Father Chryssavgis referenced important teachings from the Holy Fathers[Left] Spirituality committee chairman Peter Skeadas welcomes Metropolitan Evangelosof New Jersey. [Right] Fr. John speaks with National Philoptochos President AphroditeSkeadas and other retreat participants during a short break.and we must implement these teachings into our personal and professionallives.” •‘40 years of silence are enough for the School’U.S. Diplomat calls for immediate opening of Halki SeminarySECRETARY OF STATEHILLARY CLINTONvisits theECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATEISTANBULU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with EcumenicalJUL 2011Patriarch Bartholomew on Saturday, July 16 at the Phanar during16 her visit to Istanbul. His All-Holiness warmly received SecretaryClinton who initiated a serious hour-long discussion on various issues,including the reopening of the Orthodox Theological School of Halki.“40 years of ‘silence’ are enough for the School” Clinton reportedly told media.She reiterated the commitment of the United States on the issue of religiousfreedom and expressed her support to the concerns of the EcumenicalPatriarchate.Secretary of State Clinton also referred to other activities and initiatives of theEcumenical Patriarch, referencing His All-Holiness as the “Green Patriarch”-- an epithet bestowed on him for his tireless leadership and pioneering work inraising environmental awareness and underlining spiritual values in addressingthe ecological crisis.Clinton highlighted the interreligious dialogue initiated by the EcumenicalPatriarch in 1994 at the Bosphorus Meeting and the Declaration signed, as wellas the continuation of the dialogue in 2001 in Brussels immediately after theterrorist attack of September 11.282011 Annual Report

Metropolitan Evangelos and Father Chryssavgis with retreat participants at the Ukrainian Center in South Bound Brook, NJ.Father Alex Karloutsos, Archon Spiritual Advisor, greets the Secretary of State, top left, outside theEcumenical Patriarchate. Mrs. Clinton was then welcomed by His All-Holiness, top right, to the Phanar.The Honorable Susan Cook, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, Assistant SecretaryPhilip Gordon and Ambassador Francis Ricciardone light candles, above left, in the Patriarchal Church ofSaint George. Archbishop Demetrios speaks about the return of the relics of Saints John Chrysostom andGregory the Theologian, above right.Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred to recent positive steps by theErdogan government to remove barriers that had historically accumulated, limitingthe action of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He thanked the U.S. for its“continuous and undiminished ‘interest in the issues of the Orthodox Church.”Finally, the Secretary conveyed the gratitude of President Barack Obama for thesupportive letter by His All-Holiness to the President regarding the administration’sinitiatives pertaining to climate change.Hillary Clinton was accoampanied by Philip Gordon, Assistant Secretary ofState for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; Francis Ricciardone,United States Ambassador to Turkey; Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, SpecialAssistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe, National SecurityCouncil; Suzan Johnson Cook, Ambassador at Large for International ReligiousFreedom, and Scott Kilner, United States Consul General. Also present duringthe Secretary’s visit was Archon Andrew J. Liveris, CEO of Dow ChemicalCo. and recently appointed by President Obama as a co-chairman to the newlyformed Advanced Manufacturing Partnership.The Secretary of State and diplomats were greeted by His Eminence ArchbishopDemetrios of America, who was present for the private meeting, and were escortedby His Eminence into the Patriarchal Church of Saint George wherethey lit candles.This was the third visit of Hillary Clinton to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Thefirst took place in 1996 as First Lady, with her daughter Chelsea.The second visit occurred in 1999, again as First Lady, when she accompaniedher husband, former President Bill Clinton. •The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 29

Religious Freedom lectures and symposiums bring furtherawareness to issues throughout the countryBROOMALL, PAThe Philad e l p h i aMAY 20117r e g i o nhosted itsthird annual symposium,May 7. Thesymposium was heldat Saint Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, PA. AristotlePapanikolaou, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology and cofounderof the Orthodox Christian Studies program at FordhamUniversity, lectured on “Saint John Chrysostom on Fasting: What’sthe Point?” National Commander Dr. Anthony J. Limberakislater spoke on “The Ecumenical Patriarchate: What’s the Latest?”The symposium was organized by Regional Commander Dr. CaryLimberakis and was open to all Archons, their spouses, and otherOrthodox faithful interested in the religious freedom pursuit for theEcumenical Patriarchate. •WESTFIELD, NJWith theJUN 2011b l e s s -11ing of HisE m i nenc eM e t r o p o l i t a nEvangelos, theNJ Archons metand celebrated a service of thanksgiving for the name day of HisAll-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the GreekOrthodox Metropolis of New Jersey, June 11. Following the nameday service, a religious freedom symposium was held. NationalSecretary John Halecky opened the symposium and addressedthe participants on the plight of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Dr.Thomas Papademetriou, the Constantine and Georgeian GeorgiouEndowed Professor of Greek History and Executive Director ofthe Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies at the RichardStockton College of New Jersey, was the guest speaker for the secondhalf of the symposium. •PHILADELPHIA, PAOn Wednesday, April 27, 2011, National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D.,APR 2011delivered a lecture to the students of Greek Studies at Drexel University’s Pearlstein27Business Learning Center. Dr. Maria Hnaraki, Professor of Greek Studies, offered introductoryremarks. The CBS program, 60 Minutes, which documented the plight ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate, was viewed by the students. Dr. Limberakis then lectured on thereligious freedom mission of the Order of Saint Andrew. Students later had the opportunity to askquestions. A reception concluded the evening. •302011 Annual Report

NEW YORK, NYThe OrderMAY 2011of Saint3Andrew theApostle cosponsoreda lectureon May 3, with theHellenic LawyersAssociation on religious freedom issues faced by minorities inTurkey, including those that plague the Ecumenical Patriarchate.The lecture, titled “More than Freedom of Worship: Deconstructingthe Legal Deficits in Religious Freedom Problems in Turkey,” wasdelivered by Dr. Elizabeth H. Prodromou of the Department ofInternational Relations, Boston University. Dr. Prodromou is alsothe vice chair of the United States Commission on InternationalReligious Freedom. The lecture was organized by RegionalCommander Archon Nikiforos Mathews, Esq., and held at the NewYork Public Library. It was attended by several Archons in the area,along with National Commander Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis. •BOSTON, MAOn May 4,MAY 2011N a t i o n a l4CommanderDr. AnthonyJ. Limberakis delivereda religiousfreedom lecture tothe seminarians of Holy Cross Orthodox Theological Seminaryin Brookline, MA. Dr. Limberakis was welcomed by Dr. TimothyPatitsas, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics, and later entertainedquestions by students. •DENVER, COWith the blessings of Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, theSEP 2011Archons of the 10th District hosted their first ever Religious17Freedom Symposium at the Assumption of the TheotokosCathedral, September 17. Nearly 125 Archons, local clergy,Metropolis Council members, members of the Ladies Philoptochos andOrthodox faithful attended the symposium, which was organized andmoderated by Regional Commander Dr. Gregory G. Papadeas. NationalCommander Limberakis was the featured speaker, who presented a dynamicmultimedia program that reviewed the religious freedom deficit ofTurkey which is constricting the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the domesticand international initiatives of the Order promoting religious freedomfor the Mother Churchand recent positivesteps the governmentof Turkey has announcedin addressingthe religious freedomcrisis that affects allreligious minoritiesin Turkey. That morning, Archon-candidate Thomas Suehs presentedMetropolitan Isaiah with the official, signed Texas State House andSenate Religious Freedom Resolutions, depicted above. •The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 31

Why Turkey’s Prime Minister is Good for ChristiansBy Owen MatthewsTurkish Prime Minister Erdogan is redrawing the Constitution.Why the devout Muslim is good for the Christians.As a teenager growingJUN 2011up in a tough Istanbul22neighborhood, RecepTayyip Erdogan studiedto be an Islamic cleric. Hisdream, though, was to becomea professional player on the localKasimpasa football team. In theend, neither ambition workedout: he became Turkey’s primeminister instead. Now, afternine years in power, Erdoganhas just pulled off his third—and biggest—general-electionwin on an ambitious programthat includes a radical redrawingof Turkey’s Constitution.The theology student fromKasimpasa now wants to remakethe hard-wiring of the Turkishstate by scrapping restrictionson religious freedom; creatinga powerful French-style presidency(presumably with himselfas the first incumbent); and bymaking the country’s judges,universities, and Army more accountableto Parliament: a to-dolist that rings loud alarm bellsfor many Turks—and friendsof Turkey. The country’s oldsecular elite fears that allowingErdogan’s Islamist-rooted AKParty a say in the appointmentof judges, school principals, anduniversity rectors will makethe country more Muslim andmore conservative. Pundits andpoliticians in America and Israelaren’t thrilled with the idea ofgiving Erdogan more power—especially after he railed abouta Jewish press conspiracy againsthim during the campaign. AndTurkey’s chattering classes areincreasingly concerned aboutErdogan’s intolerance of criticism.One hostile newspaper magnatehas been landed with crippling taxbills, while more than 60 Turkishjournalists languish in jail—morethan in China.Unexpectedly, though, Turkey’stiny but ancient Christian communityhas welcomed the AKParty’s most recent landslide.Erdogan may be a deeply devoutMuslim, and his party dominatedby nondrinking, headscarfwearingSunni Muslims. Butdespite his Islamic grassroots,Erdogan advocates a historicsoftening of Turkey’s 80-yearoldanti-Christian rules. Mostsignificantly, he has helped savethe 1,700-year old patriarchateof Constantinople. The currentPatriarch Bartholomew, assenior bishop of the OrthodoxChurch, is spiritual leader of300 million Orthodox faithfularound the world. But a 1923Turkish law insists that the patriarchand all members of theSynod—the Orthodox equivalentof the Catholic Collegeof Cardinals—be Turkishcitizens drawn from Turkey’stiny ethnic-Greek community,now just 2,500 strong. WithBartholomew already 71, andmost of the Synod not muchyounger, it looked as though theend of the institution was nigh.But by granting Turkish citizenshipto a new crop of youngerOrthodox bishops from aroundthe world, Erdogan likely savedthe institution by ensuringBartholomew’s succession.Father Dositheos Anagnostopulosof the patriarchatecalls the move the “most positivething I have heard fromthe Turkish government in mylifetime.” Erdogan’s governmenthas also passed a new law thatwill allow Christians to reclaimland and property illegally confiscatedover recent decades. Anancient Armenian church ineastern Turkey, derelict since themassacres of hundreds of thousandsof Ottoman Armeniansin 1915, has been restored atstate expense, and Armenianpriests have been allowed tohold services there; a mass wasalso recently allowed at the ancientGreek Orthodox SumelaMonastery.Erdogan’s motivation is simple:giving Christians more controlover their property and religiouseducation will pave the way forIslamic institutions to have morefreedom, too. And Turkey’sleading clerics have made a pointof speaking out in defense ofChristian rights. “The freedomof the religious minorities is ourfreedom,” Mehmet Görmez, theAK Party’s recent appointee ashead of the Turkish ReligiousAffairs Directorate, told a conferencerecently. “We feel thesame pressures that they do.” It’sa nice interfaith solidarity statementbut not the full picture.True, ultranationalist Turks areequally suspicious of Islamistsand Christians. But the AKParty has used its power to giveIslam a huge boost by sponsoringmosque building all over thecountry. Turkey’s tiny Christianminorities, on the other hand,still face intense prejudice anddiscrimination from bureaucratswho believe that Christiansare undermining Turkishness.The root of the problem is thatTurkey’s Greek, Armenian, andSyrian Orthodox communitieshighlight what French writerSébastien de Courtois calls“Turkey’s identity problem.”Turks are fiercely proud of theirhomeland—yet Turks have beenin Istanbul for not much longerthan Europeans have been inAmerica. “The true question is,how can you be a Muslim in aland where you still have representativesof an earlier culture?”says de Courtois. And Turkey’sfounding narrative, taught inall schools, is how Christianarmies from Greece attemptedto strangle the Turkish republicin its cradle in 1923. They arealso taught that it was treacherousArmenians who massacredTurks in 1915, not the other wayaround. Turks are still “poisoningthemselves with lies,” saysRakil Dink, widow of HrantDink, the editor of the IstanbulbasedArmenian-language Agosnewspaper who was gunneddown by ultranationalists in2007. “Fears, anger, rage, jealousies,hatreds, prejudices, andinsecurity belittle all of us.”Money plays a part, too. Plentyof Turks have benefited fromthe plunder of Christian properties—andaren’t too happyabout new laws that help theGreeks reclaim their holdings.Still, there are signs that attitudesare softening towardTurkish Christians. In 2007, afterDink’s murder, an estimated50,000 people protested, somecarrying placards saying, “WeAre All Armenians Now.”It seems the Christians ofIstanbul have found an unlikelyally in the AK Party—not justbecause of its reforms, but morebecause Erdogan has attackedthe ultranationalists who havealways been the Christians’ biggestenemy. “Change is goingto be painful and frightening,”says Dink. No doubt—but theKasimpasa kid who almost becamean imam is making thefirst moves to heal a century ofnationalist hatred. •322011 Annual Report

Archbishop Demetrios of America meets withPrime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip ErdoğanISTANBULOn September 23, 2011 Archbishop Demetrios of AmericaSEP 2011met with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan23to discuss matters regarding religious freedom and theEcumenical Patriarchate. Included in the discussion was an expressionof appreciation offered by the Archbishop to the PrimeMinister for recent positive initiatives of the government of Turkeyregarding the religious freedom and institutional human rights ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as the pressing need to reopenHalki Seminary which was forcibly closed 40 years ago.Accompanying the Archbishop were Archon Spiritual Advisor Fr.Alexander Karloutsos; Archons Michael Jaharis, Vice Chair of theArchdiocesan Council; Anthony J. Limberakis, MD, NationalCommander, Order of Saint Andrew; John A. Catsimatidis, Orderof St. Andrew Religious Freedom Chairman and Archon DennisMehiel, member of the Religious Freedom Committee. •Archons Deliver Religious Freedom Presentationsfor the Ecumenical Patriarchate to OSCEWARSAWOn behalf of the Order of Saint Andrew, Archons TheofanisOCT 2011Economidis and Achilles Adamantiades, Ph.D. presented7two papers at the 2011 Human Dimension ImplementationMeeting in Warsaw, Poland to the Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE is theworld’s largest security organization whose 56 participating Statesand 11 partner states span the globe. The topics for the presentationswere: “The Problems of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul,”and “The Greek Orthodox Minority in Turkey.”Archons Economidis and Adamantiades had the opportunity tomeet with the head of the U.S. delegation, Ambassador Ian Kelly,and the Ambassador of the U.S. Commission on InternationalReligious Freedom, Susan Johnson-Cook.The continued presence of the Order of Saint Andrew in the OSCEmeetings is an important forum for the airing of issues on religiousfreedom, democratic institutions and the rule of law. •[Top] Archon Theofanis Economidis, Ambassador of Greece to Poland GabrielCoptsidis, and Archon Achilles Adamantiades. [Bottom] The Archons with TufanHöbek, Legal Counsel of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, left, and Ilham Atus,Deputy Directorate General of Turkey for the Council of Europe and Human Rights.The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 33

ECUMENICALPATRIARCHATEVISITATIONS TO THE PHANAROCT 201016John Podesta, President of theWashington Center for ITS ProgressOCT 201018George RomanFormer Public Order Minister of GreeceOCT 201022Christian WulffPresident of GermanyOCT 201031Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner forHuman Rights for the Council of Europe’sParliamentary AssemblyNOV 201026Admiral Dimitrios ElefsiniotisGreece’s Chief of Naval StaffDEC 20109Lieutenant Frangos FrangoulisChief of Army Staff of GreeceJAN 20113Deputy Prime Minister of TurkeyJAN 201118His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymosof Athens and All GreeceJAN 201124Hon. Noel A. KinsellaSpeaker of the Canadian SenateJAN 201131Hon. Kevin RuddForeign Minister of AustraliaFEB 201117Francis RicciardoneU.S. Ambassador to AnkaraFEB 201128Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finlandand religious leaders of variousdenominations of Finland342011 Annual Report

MAR 201112Mirko CvetkovicPrime Minister of SerbiaMAR 201113His Excellency Mikola Yanovich AzarovUkrainian Prime MinisterMAR 201116Hon. Vicente Fox, Former President ofthe Republic of Mexico and his wife,Marta SahagunMAR 201117British Author, Victoria Hislopwriter of The Island, published in overtwenty languagesAPR 20111Patriarch Ignatios Zakka of Antiochand All the EastAPR 20111French Senators Robert Del Picchia,Charles Gautier, and Bernadette BourzaiAPR 20112His Beatitude Metropolitan Christopherof Prague, the Czech Lands and SlovakiaMAY 201110Mari Gormezano, Turkish RepublicanPopular PartyJUN 20117Hon. Dimitris AvramopoulosVice-President of the Greek PoliticalParty “New Democracy”JUN 201120Simeon IIFormer King and Prime Ministerof BulgariaJUN 201121Athletes of the Special Olympics WorldSummer Games, bearing the Flame ofHopeJUN 201116Hon. John BairdMinister of Foreign Affairs of CanadaJUL 201122Hon. Stefano SanninoGeneral Director of the EuropeanCommission for ExpansionJUL 201122U.S. Congressmen Wally Herger andSteve King and U.S. Consul General,the Hon. Scott KilnerOCT 20114Olympiakos Basketball Team and itsPresident, Mr. George AngelopoulosThe Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 35

EurasiaNet reports onTurkey: Making Room for Religious Minoritiesby Dorian JonesWith the opening of Turkey’s parliament on October 1 and the startof work on replacing the country’s constitution, members of thecountry’s religious minority groups are hoping that years of institutionaland legal discrimination will come to an end in the not-toodistantfuture.“We are expecting to contribute ... our ideas and our support to thisprocess,” said Laki Vingas, a Greek-Turkish businessman and theelected representative for 161 non-Muslim minority foundations intheir dealings with the Turkish state. “We have seen a big change inthe way the government is cooperating with us.”Over its nine-year tenure in power, the Islamic-rooted Justice andDevelopment Party (AKP) has tried to distinguish itself from itspredecessors by addressing some of the grievances of Turkey’s non-Muslim religious minorities. Reforms, many of which were demandedby the European Union, have included the easing of controls onnon-Muslim foundations, the renovation of places of worship andthe ending of rhetoric that termed non-Muslims as “yabancı” or foreigners.“The times when a citizen of ours would be oppressed due to his religious,ethnic origin or a different way of life are over,” Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan declared this September at a Ramadan dinnerattended by non-Muslim minority leaders. “This is not aboutdoing a favor; this is about rectifying an injustice.”The state’s confiscation of property owned by non-Muslim religiouscommunities, a practice that dates back to 1936, is one of the mostcontentious issues for Turkey’s Christian and Jewish minorities. “Itwas a way of stealing, of plundering the wealth of these minorities,”charged Ishak Alaton, a leading industrialist and prominent figureamong Turkey’s estimated 25,000-strong Jewish community.For decades, foundations have been battling in the courts, seekingthe return of schools, cemeteries, churches and other properties.“This land was taken from the Armenian Yedikule Surp Pirgic hospitalin 1952 because of the old mentality,” said Melkon Karakose, anArmenian community activist, pointing to a sports field run by anIstanbul district government. “Now we are fighting to get it back.”Karakose has been working on behalf of various foundations in thecourts for 25 years. He’s more optimistic now than ever about thechances for change. “Thanks to the new mindset, the governmentwill make sure we get back our lands,” he said.Justice is likely to come at a substantial cost to the government. “Weare talking about huge [real estate] values. Each case will be an independentcase that will be taken court,” warned Alaton, the Jewishcommunity activist.Vingas, who represents the non-Muslim foundations in their dealingswith the state, says there are around 150 properties and buildingsthat have been identified as eligible for restitution. Many occupyprime locations in Istanbul’s red-hot property market.Vingas added that Turkey’s non-Muslim minorities would welcomeany windfall in valuable property holdings, but cautioned that theissue went beyond money. “It is a right and it is a cultural heritage,”he underlined. “It’s not a matter of how rich the minority foundationswill become. But it’s a necessity to [bring] back what belong[s]to your family. The minorities, for almost the [entire] 20th century,have suffered.”Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University,touted the significance of the government’s rhetoric. “This is a totalreversal of this attitude whereby the non-Muslims were considered,sometimes openly, as foreigners, “Aktar said.The government’s willingness to explore restitution does not yetcover the hundreds, if not thousands, of property seizures from individuals,or the takeovers that occurred before 1936. An even morecontentious point is confiscation that occurred prior to the formationof the Republic of Turkey in 1923, especially during the WorldWar I-era massacre of ethnic Armenians.The restitution of property would only be the start of a processthat ensures religious freedom for minorities. Both Armenian andGreek churches, for example, have reopened. Yet, the leaders of theArmenian Apostolic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church inIstanbul still lack legal status in Turkey. The training of priests alsois shaping up as a contentious issue.The Greek Orthodox Church is pressing for the reopening of theHalki Seminary, which the government closed in 1974. Internationalpressure, including from US Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton, is growing for the reopening. But the Turkish governmentso far steadfastly refuses, arguing that Greece must make reciprocalconcessions to its Turkish minority.On a day-to-day level, non-Muslim minorities complain that theyface discrimination in government employment, including de factoexclusion from the judiciary system, police or military; non-Muslimsgenerally do not hold senior positions in such professions. “Theproblems would finish when my son can be a ranking soldier, or myniece becomes a police officer,” said Karakose, the Armenian communityactivist. “After all this happen[s], then the problems can besolved. And I believe this will happen.” •362011 Annual Report