HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 37
(By Delegates Cann, Fragale, Iaquinta, Miley, Andes, Azinger,
Beach, Browning, Campbell, Cowles, Craig, Crosier, Eldridge,
Ellis, Frederick, Hartman, Higgins, Hrutkay, Kessler, Kominar,
Long, Longstreth, Mahan, Manchin, Michael, C. Miller, Palumbo,
Paxton, Pino, Porter, Reynolds, Rodighiero, Rowan, Shaver, Shook,
Stalnaker, Stemple, Stephens, Swartzmiller, Tabb, Varner,
Williams and Yost)
Urging the Government of Turkey to cease its discrimination of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, to grant the Ecumenical Patriarch
appropriate international recognition, allow ecclesiastical
succession and the right to train clergy of all nationalities,
and to respect the property rights and human rights of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Whereas, The Ecumenical Patriarchate, located in Istanbul,
Turkey, is the sacred See that presides in a spirit of brotherhood
over a communion of self-governing churches of the Orthodox
Christian world; and
Whereas, The See is led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
who is the 269th in direct succession to the Apostle Andrew and
hold titular primacy as primus inter pares, meaning "first among equals" in the community of Orthodox churches worldwide; and
Whereas, In 1994 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, along with
leaders of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, cosponsored the
Conference on Peace and Tolerance, which brought together
Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders for an interfaith
dialogue to help end the Balkan conflict and the ethnic conflict in
the Caucasus region; and
Whereas, Following the terrorist attacks on our nation on
September 11, 2001, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gathered a
group of international religious leaders to produce the first joint
statement with Muslim leaders that condemned the 9/11 attacks as
"anti-religious"; and
Whereas, In October 2005 the Ecumenical Patriarch, along with
Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, cosponsored the Conference on
Peace and Tolerance II to further promote peace and stability in
southeastern Europe, the Caucasus region and central Asia via
religious leaders' interfaith dialogue, understanding and action;
and
Whereas, The Orthodox Christian Church, in existence for nearly
2,000 years, numbers approximately 300 million members worldwide
with more than 2 million members in the United States; and
Whereas, Since 1453 the continuing presence of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate in Turkey has been a living testament to the religious
coexistence of Christians and Muslims; and
Whereas, This religious coexistence is in jeopardy because the
Government of Turkey refuses to recognize the rights and religious
freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is considered a
minority religion by the Turkish government; and
Whereas, The Government of Turkey has limited the candidates
available to hold the office of Ecumenical Patriarchate to only
Turkish nationals at the turn of the 20th century, and due to the
continued policies of minority discrimination during this period by
the Turkish government, there remain less than 3,000 of the
Ecumenical Patriarchs flock left in Turkey today; and
Whereas, The Government of Turkey has reneged on its agreement
to reopen the Theological School on the island of Halki, which the
Turkish government closed in 1971, thus impeding training for
Orthodox Christian clergy; and
Whereas, The Turkish government has confiscated nearly 94
percent of the properties of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and has
placed a 42 percent tax retroactive to 1999 on the Baloukli
Hospital and Home for the Aged, a charity hospital run by the
Ecumenical Patriarchate; and
Whereas, The European Union, a group of nations with a common
goal of promoting peace and the well-being of its peoples, began
accession negotiations with Turkey on October 3, 2005; and
Whereas, The European Union defined membership criteria for
accession at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, obligating candidate countries to achieve certain levels of reform , including
stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, adherence to the
rule of law and respect for and protection of minorities and human
rights; and
Whereas, The Turkish government's current treatment of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate is inconsistent with the membership
conditions and goals of the European Union; and
Whereas, Orthodox Christians in the State of West Virginia and
throughout the United States stand to lose their spiritual leader
because of the continued actions of the Turkish government;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
The State of West Virginia urges the Government of Turkey to
uphold and safeguard religious and human rights without compromise;
cease its discrimination of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; grant the
Ecumenical Patriarch appropriate international recognition,
ecclesiastic succession and the right to train clergy of all
nationalities; and respect the property rights and human rights of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
forward certified copies of this resolution to the President of the
United States, to the United States Ambassador to the Republic of
Turkey, to the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the United
States, and to Angelo Koukoulis.
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