Vice President Joe Biden is enjoying a human rights award bestowed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Archbishop Demetrios of America presented the annual Athenagoras Human Rights Award to Biden during a banquet at the New York Hilton on October 17, says the archdiocese in its online newsletter.
According to Archons National Commander Dr. Anthony Limberakis, who presented the award to Biden, “The core of the spiritual mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is freedom, freedom in Christ to live at the utmost of our human potential.”
Limberakis applauded Biden as a “constant friend and a voice of advocacy of the free exercise of the spiritual mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”
“We thank you for all you have done and all you will do in the future for the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” he said.
“This is maybe the greatest honor I have ever received in my public life,” Biden said as he accepted the award. In a video message, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also praised Biden who, in turn, said the Ecumenical Patriarch is the most blessed man he has ever met and a saintly man, according to the report.
“The Vice President is someone who fights for freedom in the real sense,” said the Archbishop.
“[F]reedom has just one limit; my freedom is absolute up to the point it infringes upon the freedom of the person next to me,” he continued. “The next person is the limit of my freedom. If there is no such a limit, then freedom looses value and meaning and becomes an arbitrary thing causing lots of problems.”
“This Vice President exemplifies this kind of freedom, freedom but with respect to the other person, so there is mutuality in our freedom,” the Archbishop said.
The report notes that Archon Mike Emanuel, chief congressional correspondent and senior political correspondent for Fox News, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event.