His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 delivered an extraordinary address at a dinner in his honor at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. Hosting the dinner was the Hon. Michael J. Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. The dinner was part of His All-Holiness’ Apostolic Visit to the United States, his eighth Apostolic Visit to this country.

Among those who were present at the dinner were His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and other U.S. hierarchs; Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. Ambassador-designate to Greece; Ekaterini Nassika, the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the United States; Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and numerous other clergy, Archons, community leaders, and faithful.

In his remarks and toast at the dinner, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized the global diakonia of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, stating that this Patriarchate is “a trans-national and purely spiritual Institution of the Holy Orthodox Christian Church.”

Read the full text of His All-Holiness’ speech here.