Dear Brother Archons and Friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,

Yesterday, thirty-three years ago, October 22, 1991, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in prayerful deliberations to choose the successor of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios of blessed memory, unanimously chose then-Geron Metropolitan Bartholomew of Chalcedon to be the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople and 269th successor to St. Andrew. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s global spiritual ministry began on that day and has continued, by God’s infinite grace, to this day.

His All-Holiness is the longest-serving Ecumenical Patriarch in the history of the Church, and one of the most consequential. His ministry has been an immense blessing both to Orthodox Christians and to the people of the world at large.

At his enthronement as Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness stated: “Being firmly convinced by sacred experience of the indispensable value of conciliarity through which the Holy Spirit speaks to the Church, we shall walk the road of the διακονία of the Church.”

His All-Holiness has walked that road of humble service now for a third of a century. Our much-beloved Ecumenical Patriarch has demonstrated his diakonia in his courageous decision to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; in his pursuance of dialogue both within the Holy Orthodox Church and with leaders of other faith traditions; in his prophetic witness to the world regarding the necessity to care for God’s creation; and in his loving care for each of the faithful as he guides us in following the path of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no corner of the Church today, and indeed, of the entire world, that has not been touched in one way or another by His All-Holiness’ diakonia of love. Therefore, as we celebrate this 33rd anniversary of the election of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Ecumenical Throne, we joyfully pray that our loving and merciful God and His All-Holy Mother will continue to bless His All-Holiness and prosper his sacred ministry, blessing him with renewed strength and continuing good health, so that he may continue to proclaim the Gospel in a world that needs it so very much.

Εἰς πολλὰ ἔτη, Δέσποτα!

Yours in the service of His All-Holiness and Our Holy and Great Mother Church of Constantinople,