30th Anniversary Tribute Video of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's Enthronement

The present Ecumenical Patriarch is the 269th successor of the Apostle Andrew to the throne of Constantinople. Over twenty centuries, the same throne has been occupied by an extraordinary range of churchmen: saintly theologians, great administrators, and many scarcely-remembered figures who had little choice but to preserve their ancient office as best they could, usually in dire conditions, for future generations. So it is fair to say that, when Patriarch Bartholomew was elevated to Archbishop of Constantinople-also known as New Rome-he could look to and stand on the shoulders of a chain of predecessors, who provided much more than role models; they represented a powerful image and symbol of an ancient Church in a modern world.
In the case of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, we have witnessed a vision and tenure that have proved both inspired and inspirational for the Church throughout the world as he has patiently and pastorally guided the Orthodox Church into the twenty-first century. After all, the thirty-year anniversary of his tenure-the longest in history-is matched only by that of Titus in the third century.