The Antonianum University awards an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

On 21 October 2020, the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Antonianum University (PUA), Br Michael Anthony Perry, presented an honorary doctorate in philosophy to His Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch, during the inauguration of the academic year of the PUA. Before the award ceremony, the Laudatio given by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, referring to the leader of the Church of Constantinople emphasised “the harmony with the Petrine Magisterium which demonstrates the ecumenical union between the Churches of East and West”. Vatican News (Italian) reported that before receiving the recognition from the hands of Br Michael Anthony Perry, other Cardinals representing the Holy See also gave greetings after the address of Bartholomew. Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Unity among Christians, stressed that the Churches of Rome and Constantinople are “sister Churches”.  He recalled how the harmony between the Patriarch and the Pope was already evident at the inaugural Mass of Francis’ pontificate at which Bartholomew I wanted to be present. Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, pointed out that in Orthodox spirituality, every evil has a spiritual cause and every crisis has its origin in sin. “If human beings regain their primordial vocation as stewards of the garden, the crisis is resolved”, he concluded.   [gallery type="rectangular" link="file" ids="28216,28217,28218,28219,28220,28221,28222,28223,28224,28225,28226"] https://youtu.be/tn3mcgiL7e0