On Oct. 22, the Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross presented a documentary on His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during the official Phanar celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of His All-Holiness’s election and enthronement.
The film was prepared by HEI Executive Director Fr. John Chryssavgis and Capri Productions in Thessaloniki. With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the documentary was sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Archon Athanasios Martinos. Further screenings are planned in Athens, Crete, and Thessaloniki.
The documentary accompanies HEI’s new book, Bartholomew: Thirty-Five Years of Patriarchal Tenure, an Anniversary Without Precedent, published with Akritas Books in Athens. Like the book, the film is organized around the Ecumenical Patriarch’s enthronement address of November 2, 1991, outlining the vision he put forth on that day and how each dimension has been realized.
The film begins on the island of Imvros, where the young Demetrios Arhondonis grew up without electricity or running water, reading by a kerosene lamp. It then follows his studies at the Theological School of Halki and in Rome, Geneva, and Munich, and then his enthronement at the Venerable and Patriarchal Church of St. George. Archival footage shows the day, and the Ecumenical Patriarch recalls his greatest joy was to kiss his parents’ hands on such a momentous occasion.
Each theme in the enthronement address then becomes a chapter in the documentary. These include dialogue with Rome, the care for creation that earned His All-Holiness the nickname “Green Patriarch,” and the gatherings of Orthodox primates that led to the Holy and Great Council of Crete in 2016. The film also explores the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, as well as the Ecumenical Patriarch’s interreligious dialogue, travels, and concern for young people.
The film closes with the phrase the Ecumenical Patriarch uses to sum up his ministry: “Glory to God for all things.” He describes it as a thanksgiving for the gifts God has granted him, and the documentary presents his 35 years of Patriarchal ministry in this light.
“In all sincerity, there are so many things for which I must thank Him,” His All-Holiness says, “that I confess I glorify Him constantly: day and night, evening, morning, and midday … Everything we have comes from God. We are His instruments; He uses us so that His will may be done on earth.”
Corinna Robinson, MTS is the Content & Communications Associate at the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross, where she supports social media, content development, and event communications in service of the Institute’s mission of ecumenical dialogue, education, and engagement.