On 8 May, the Gennadius Prize will be awarded to the Ecumenical Patriarchate
It is one of the evenings that will bring together the entire Greek-American community in New York with personalities coming even from the West coast of the United States. In the emblematic space of Gotham Hall, an architectural “diamond” in Manhattan that was once the headquarters of the Greenwich Savings Bank and features an impressive dome, the Gennadius Prize of the American School of Classical Studies will be awarded on 8 May 2025. This year it will go to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and of course it will be accompanied by the gala that will bring together the most prominent members of the Greek-American community from business to philanthropy, academia and the arts. This prize is the highest distinction awarded by the Gennadius Library. In the past, the American School of Classical Studies has awarded internationally renowned figures whose work has dealt with Greece, such as Mark Mazower and last year Mary Lefkowitz, as well as organisations such as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Leventis Foundation.
The aim of this year’s award is to highlight the radiance of the institution, which for millennia has contributed to the promotion and of course the preservation of Orthodoxy, language and spiritual heritage, something that is felt first and foremost by the Greek diaspora. “It recognises the resilience and vital role of this ancient institution in the preservation and dissemination of Greek culture throughout the centuries,” said Andreas Zombanakis, president of the Supervisory Board of the Gennadius Library, while Maria Georgopoulou, director of the Gennadius Library, praised the Ecumenical Patriarchate as “an enduring cultural institution that has contributed to the dissemination of Greek knowledge and the preservation of Greek heritage.” This is a unique legacy, which will be highlighted in a short documentary that will premiere that evening. In the film, Zombanakis, Georgopoulou, and George Orfanakos travelled to the Queen of Cities to talk with the Ecumenical Patriarch and to trace the history of the Patriarchate, which was founded in the 4th century AD and has functioned as the spiritual and administrative centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church, a stronghold and a guardian.
The gala will be preceded by another interesting event on 6 May 2025, hosted at the Cathedral Centre of the Archdiocese of New York, where distinguished academics such as Maria Mavroudi from Berkeley, Tom Papadimitriou from Stockton and Helen Evans from the Metropolitan Museum of New York will speak about the important role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. These days, however, it was announced that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received another important award from the John Templeton Foundation, the awarding of which will take place in autumn of 2025 in New York.
The rationale for the selection is not only that His All-Holiness has been one of the longest-serving religious leaders, but that he has made great efforts for many decades to bridge the scientific and spiritual worlds in a difficult time for humanity. He has also systematically worked for interfaith dialogue. Sir John Templeton, who gave his name to the foundation and the award, was a British-American investor and benefactor.
Source: ekathimerini.com / Margarita Pournara
