H.RES.999 Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms...(EU and "interesting" alert)

United States House of Representatives Thomas Search ^ | September 18, 2006 | House of Representatives

[longtermmemmory]

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Whereas Turkey began accession negotiations with the European Union on October 3, 2005; (Introduced in House)

HRES 999 IH

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 999

Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 12, 2006

Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. WATSON, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. BACA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

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RESOLUTION

Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Whereas Turkey began accession negotiations with the European Union on October 3, 2005;

Whereas in 1993 the European Union defined the membership criteria for accession to the European Union at the Copenhagen European Council, obligating candidate countries to have achieved certain levels of reform, including stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, and respect for and protection of minorities;

Whereas the Government of Turkey refuses to recognize the Ecumenical Patriarch's international status; and

Whereas the Government of Turkey has limited to Turkish nationals the candidates available to the Holy Synod for selection as the Ecumenical Patriarch and has refused to reopen the Theological School at Halki, thus impeding training for the clergy: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) calls on Turkey to continue to demonstrate its willingness to adopt and uphold European standards for the protection of human rights;

(2) based on the ideals associated with the European Union and its member states, calls on Turkey to eliminate all forms of discrimination, particularly those based on race or religion, and immediately--

(A) grant the Ecumenical Patriarch appropriate international recognition and ecclesiastic succession;

(B) grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate the right to train clergy of all nationalities, not just Turkish nationals; and

(C) respect property rights and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and

(3) calls on Turkey to pledge to uphold and safeguard religious and human rights without compromise.

[longtermmemmory]

the list of sponsors:

Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] - 9/12/2006
Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] - 9/12/2006
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] - 9/12/2006
Rep Bilirakis, Michael [FL-9] - 9/12/2006
Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] - 9/12/2006
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 9/12/2006
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 9/12/2006
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 9/12/2006
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 9/12/2006
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 9/19/2006
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 9/12/2006

This is a pending bill before the House of Representatives for a Resolution. I think it is particularly relevant given the recent deaths as a result of a recent rioting over the 600 year old quote.

If anyone would like to speak to their house of representatives congressman just go to the U.S. House of Representatives and just type in your zip code and give them a call or send an email.

It is HR 999

Take a look at the bill and see the restrictions the Turkish government puts on the Patriarchate and how they have actually closed a religious school just because it is Christian and trains priests.

It has been reffered to the committee on international relations. I will post their membership below.

Any exposure people can give to this would be good. Ping lists would be appreciated.

[Froufrou]

This is inre the death threats against the Pope? Sheesh!

[longtermmemmory]

This is the committee which has the resolution right now:

 

Committee on International Relations
Members of the 109th Congress

(Click on a Members' name or photo to visit their Web site)

   
  Henry J. Hyde, Chairman
Illinois, 6th District

	James A. Leach Iowa, 2nd District		Tom Lantos California, 12th District
	Christopher H. Smith, Vice Chairman New Jersey, 4th District		Howard L. Berman California, 28th District
	Dan Burton Indiana, 5th District		Gary L. Ackerman New York, 5th District
	Elton Gallegly California, 24th District		Eni F. H. Faleomavaega American Samoa
	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Florida, 18th District		Donald M. Payne New Jersey, 10th District
	Dana Rohrabacher California, 46th District		Sherrod Brown Ohio, 13th District
	Edward R. Royce California, 40th District		Brad Sherman California, 27th District
	Peter T. King New York, 3rd District		Robert Wexler Florida, 19th District
	Steve Chabot Ohio, 1st District		Eliot L. Engel New York, 17th District
	Thomas G. Tancredo Colorado, 6th District		William D. Delahunt Massachusetts, 10th District
	Ron Paul Texas, 14th District		Gregory W. Meeks New York, 6th District
	Darrell Issa California, 49th District		Barbara Lee California, 9th District
	Jeff Flake Arizona, 6th District		Joseph Crowley New York, 7th District
	Jo Ann Davis Virginia, 1st District		Earl Blumenauer Oregon, 3rd District
	Mark Green Wisconsin, 8th District		Shelley Berkley Nevada, 1st District
	Jerry Weller Illinois, 11th District		Grace F. Napolitano California, 38th District
	Mike Pence Indiana, 6th District		Adam B. Schiff California, 29th District
	Thaddeus G. McCotter Michigan, 11th District		Diane E. Watson California, 33rd District
	Katherine Harris Florida, 13th District		Adam Smith Washington, 9th District
	Joe Wilson South Carolina, 2nd District		Betty McCollum Minnesota, 4th District
	John Boozman Arkansas, 3rd District		Ben Chandler Kentucky, 6th District
	J. Gresham Barrett South Carolina, 3rd District		Dennis A. Cardoza California, 18th District
	Connie Mack Florida, 14th District		Russ Carnahan Missouri, 3rd District
	Jeff Fortenberry Nebraska, 1st District	Subcommittee Members Back to Home Page
	Michael McCaul Texas, 10th District
	Ted Poe Texas, 2nd District

[longtermmemmory]

There is a gate at the patriachate which has not be used for centuries. The moslems lynched a patriach at that gate in the name of the religion of peace.

The gate was closed and has never been used since. They build another doorway.

[Froufrou]

I keep saying it, but I really am going to get a gun license and learn how to use a weapon. I'm almost ready to shoot on sight.

[longtermmemmory]

Ping

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

For later.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

For later.

[longtermmemmory]

ping

[JoeFromSidney]

There's more to this than appears on the surface. The question revolves around the nature of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Is the holder of that office an "Orthodox Pope," with some responsibilities for Orthodox churches in countries other than Turkey? Or are his responsibilities limited only to the Orthodox Church in Turkey?

The Turks are afraid the current Patriarch is trying to make himself an Orthodox Pope, rather than restricting his responsibilities to Turkey only. Hence the restriction on the nationality of the Patriarch.

It would seem to me the issue should be settled by the Orthodox themselves, not by a secular-cum-Muslim Turkish government. However, no one asked me.

I'm not sure our government ought to get involved. Will we next see a resolution on who can be chosen the Catholic Pope?

[longtermmemmory]

He covers churches in more than one country.

Essentially the objective is to create a Patriachate akin to the micro nation of the vatican. Keep in mind much of the land in Jeruselum is owned by the Patriachate.

There is very little in this which objectionable to any western sensibility. The issue here is one of the fact that turkey has an official anti-christianity policy.

Consider what the turkish govenment did and continues to do to the churches in cyprus, they are used as stables and the fixtures are sold on the antiquities black market.

[Kolokotronis]

"The Turks are afraid the current Patriarch is trying to make himself an Orthodox Pope, rather than restricting his responsibilities to Turkey only. Hence the restriction on the nationality of the Patriarch."

The Turks are afraid of no such thing. The restrictions on the person of the EP and the institution of the Patriarchate are intended to assure the final dissolution of the Greek Orthodox Christian presence in Turkey. At present there are about 2000 Greek Orthodox in all of Turkey, most of them very old. By limiting the eligible candidates for the Patriarchial Throne to Turkish citizens by law, the seat will become vacant within, say, 30 years. That will be the end of what by tradition is the second see of Christianity and the first in Orthodoxy. Turkey has already seized the overwhelming majority of the Patriarchates' churches and other properties...without any compensation by the way. As things stand now, the Patriarchate of Constantinople is doomed and 1800 years of history will simply end.

This has absolutely nothing to do with an Orthodox papacy. The Last Orthodox pope sat in Rome more than 1000 years ago. Orthodoxy has no pope now nor will there be one unless there is a reunion with Rome...and he will sit in Rome, not Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch, however, is not merely an archbihop in Turkey. He is the Patriarch of the Oecumene, and that includes very large portions of the world outside of Turkey, in effect, anywhere there are Greek Orthodox Churches outside of Greece where another Patriarch does not have defined canonical jurisdiction.

It is beyond any argument that I can fathom that our government should call on the howling Mohammedans of the Turkish government to free the Patriarchate and allow that institution and the person of the Patriarch to fulfill its appropriate functions both in Turkey and in the world.

[Kolokotronis]

Orthodox ping. Please contact your reps.

[eleni121]

Thank you for posting this.

bump Greek list.

[MarMema]

Next year in Constantinople bump.

[eleni121]

BUMP!

[The_Reader_David]

The Ecumenical Patriarch is the chief hierarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which has jurisdiction over not just the 3000 or so Orthodox Christians still residing in European Turkey*, but over Mount Athos, which is semi-independent, but whose foreign relations are handle by the Republic of Greece, over churches in the Greek Islands (the Church of Greece has jurisdiction only over mainland Greece), as well as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, and other 'diaspora' jursidictions in Australia, East and South Asia (esp. S. Korea, Indonesia and India, where none of the other patriarchates have churches), and Western Europe.

The Turks are fools if they think the E.P. can arrogate quasi-papal authority to himself. Neither Moscow nor any of the other patriarchates and autocephalous churches would stand for it. The only explanation for Turkish policy is a desire to destroy the Ecumenical Patriarchate's presence in Turkey by attrition so there is no outcry against it.

A resolution on the matter is every bit as appropriate for the U.S. with its tradition of religious freedom as a similar resolution would be if an anti-Christian government in Italy were to close all of the Latin church's seminaries and forbid the appointment of a non-Italian as Pope of Rome.

Turkey wants to join the E.U. and with it the West. Congress can tell them to play by the West's rules, religious freedom included.

*Asia Minor's tiny Orthodox minority, who have been denied access to clergy since the forced exchange of populations in the wake of the 2nd Greco-Turkish War in 1922 are under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch--which has been in exile in Damascus from its proper seat, Antioch in Asia Minor, from that time.

[NYer]

This is in re the death threats against the Pope?

No. This is in regard to the denial of religious freedom for christians, in Turkey. The Patriarch referred to in the Bill, is Orthodox; the Pope is Catholic. Ironically enough, this bill was introduced to the House, on the same day the Pope delivered the now famous address at the University of Regensburg. Hence, it now stands to be bolstered by Catholic christians who choose to contact their respective representative.

Catholic Ping List
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[NYer]

Quick question ....

He is the Patriarch of the Oecumene, and that includes very large portions of the world outside of Turkey

Can a patriarchate be relocated within the same territory?

It is beyond any argument that I can fathom that our government should call on the howling Mohammedans of the Turkish government to free the Patriarchate and allow that institution and the person of the Patriarch to fulfill its appropriate functions both in Turkey and in the world.

Do you suppose this bill is simply a formality, much like previous ones that decried the forced abortions in China or lack of religious freedom in the USSR?

At present there are about 2000 Greek Orthodox in all of Turkey, most of them very old. By limiting the eligible candidates for the Patriarchial Throne to Turkish citizens by law, the seat will become vacant within, say, 30 years.

We know from history what happens in similar situations. These "churches" go underground. Let us all pray for these persecuted christians and their priests who risk their lives to say liturgy and deliver the sacraments to their dwindling congregations.