I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3056 
To oppose violations of religious freedom in Turkey by the Government 
of Turkey and to safeguard the rights and religious freedoms of the 
Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2021 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. TITUS, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. 
MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. LOFGREN, and Mr. SHERMAN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
A BILL 
To oppose violations of religious freedom in Turkey by the 
Government of Turkey and to safeguard the rights and 
religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Turkey and Ecumeni-
cal Patriarchate Religious Freedom Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:08 Jun 22, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3056.IH
H3056
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
(1) The promotion and protection of the univer-
sally recognized right to the freedom of religion is a 
priority of United States foreign policy as stated in 
section 402 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442). 
(2) The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the spir-
itual home of the world’s oldest and second largest 
Christian Church. 
(3) Within the 2,000-year-old Sacred See of the 
Ecumenical Patriarchate, the New Testament was 
codified and the Nicene Creed was created. 
(4) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is one 
of the world’s preeminent spiritual leaders and 
peacemakers representing over 300 million Orthodox 
Christians worldwide. 
(5) The disappearance of the See would mean 
the end of a crucial link between the Christian and 
the Muslim world since the continuing presence of 
the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey is a living 
testimony of religious co-existence since 1453. 
(6) The Ecumenical Patriarch has direct juris-
diction over the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of 
America and thus is the spiritual and ecclesiastical 
leader of its 1.5 million adherents. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:08 Jun 22, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3056.IH
H3056
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
(7) The Ecumenical Patriarch is, in a sense, 
also an American spiritual leader and should be af-
forded the protections of an American spiritual lead-
er. 
(8) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was 
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest 
award bestowed by the United States Congress, and 
he coordinated with religious leaders around the 
world to issue a condemnation of the September 11, 
2001, attacks on the United States as an anti-reli-
gious act. 
(9) The Ecumenical Patriarchate has a record 
of reaching out and working for peace and reconcili-
ation amongst all faiths and has fostered dialogue 
among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. 
(10) The Ecumenical Patriarchate co-sponsored 
the Peace and Tolerance Conference in Istanbul 
which issued the Bosphorus Declaration that stated, 
‘‘A crime committed in the name of religion is a 
crime against religion.’’. 
(11) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stated 
in Brussels in 2004, ‘‘The Ecumenical Patriarchate 
is a supranational ecclesiastical institution . . . 
which demonstrates religious tolerance as a beautiful 
reality. For we bear respect toward all of our hu-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:08 Jun 22, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3056.IH
H3056
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS