Four decades of honoring champions of religious freedom and human dignity culminate with the 2026 Award to His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate proudly mark the 40th anniversary of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award. Established in 1986, the Award has become one of the most distinguished honors for defending religious freedom and the dignity of every human being.
With the blessings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the approval of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the 2026 Award will be presented to His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York. The presentation takes place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Order’s annual black-tie banquet at the New York Hilton Midtown.
In 1986, the National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, established the Athenagoras Human Rights Award, during the distinguished tenure of National Commander Dr. Anthony G. B. Borden, of blessed memory. It is presented each year to a person or organization that has consistently exemplified, by action, purpose and dedication, concern for the basic rights and religious freedom of all people.
The Award honors Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I (1886–1972), one of the great Church leaders of the 20th century. He served as Archbishop of North and South America from 1931 to 1948, then was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. He witnessed the devastation of the September 1955 pogrom against the Greek community of Constantinople. Yet he became a global voice for reconciliation, meeting Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem in January 1964 — opening the dialogue of love between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches after nine centuries of separation.
The 40th anniversary coincides with the 60th anniversary year of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America.
Over four decades, the Award has recognized statesmen, spiritual leaders, humanitarians and ordinary heroes whose lives bore witness to human dignity.
The first Award, in 1986, honored Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Selma. It was followed by President Jimmy Carter (1987) and Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1988).
The 1990s and 2000s brought honorees of global stature: Nobel Peace Prize laureates Elie Wiesel (1999), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2000) and Mikhail Gorbachev (2005). They also included Archbishop Anastasios of Albania (2001), who rebuilt a Church nearly erased by decades of state atheism; President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush (2002); and Rabbi Arthur Schneier of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (2008).
In more recent years, the Award has honored Admiral James Stavridis on behalf of the U.S. Armed Forces (2011); Vice President Joe Biden (2015); and Emilia Kamvisi and Efstratios Valamios of Lesbos (2017), who cared for refugees arriving on their shores. In 2018, some 1,300 guests — the largest gathering in the Order’s history — honored Father Alexander and Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos. The banquet’s record proceeds of $1.3 million provided the seed money that established the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation. The Award went on to honor His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine (2019); the scientists behind COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics (2021); and His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa (2022). Recent honorees also include The Prince’s Trust, founded by King Charles III (2023); Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny (2024); and former Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo (2025).
Cardinal Dolan now joins this distinguished company. He is honored for his defense of religious freedom, including his service on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty and the Justice Department’s Religious Liberty Commission. He is also honored for his friendship with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, the Archon Grand Aktouarios and National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, stated: “For forty years, the Athenagoras Human Rights Award has carried forward the vision of a Patriarch who answered persecution with reconciliation and love. Its honorees remind us that religious freedom is the foundation of every other freedom. I’m especially proud that during the tenure (1976-1989) of my late predecessor and father-in-law, Dr. Borden, that the Award was established in 1986. As the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself continues to face restrictions on its rights, this Award is both a celebration and a call to conscience. We are honored to mark this milestone by recognizing Cardinal Dolan, a true friend of our Sister Churches and a tireless defender of the dignity of every human person.”
About the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle) are a devoted group of passionate leaders, relentlessly focused on protecting religious freedom for everyone and ensuring the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate — the historical spiritual center of the world’s 300+ million Orthodox Christians. Learn more at archons.org.
