Metropolitan Jonah, Fr. Jillions attend DC reception

Congressman Sarbanes
Metropolitan Jonah and Father John with Congressman John P. Sarbanes.

On Wednesday November 30, 2011, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, together with Archpriest John Jillions, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, attended a Human Rights and Religious Freedom Reception marking the Feast of the Apostle Andrew at the US Capitol.

A highlight of the evening was the airing of a short documentary film, “Apostle of Love, Hope and Reconciliation,” highlighting the ministry of His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as the 270th successor to the Apostle Andrew.  The film also calls attention to progress being made towards restoring the full dignity of religious freedom to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Sponsored by the Honorable John P. Sarbanes, invitations to the events were issued by Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and Rep. Chris Smith of the Helsinki Commission; Reps. Frank R. Wolf and James P. McGovern of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Reps. Trent Franks and Emanuel Cleaver of the International Religious Freedom Caucus, and Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Carolyn Maloney, and John P. Sarbanes of the Hellenic Caucus.