Metr. Nathanael Delivers Funeral Eulogy for Officer John Bartholomew
His Eminence framed Officer Bartholomew’s funeral through the Orthodox Christian conviction that Christ’s Resurrection transforms grief into hope.
CHICAGO — Metr. Nathanael of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago delivered a funeral eulogy for Officer John Bartholomew at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church last Friday, addressing grieving family members, civic leaders, clergy, and members of the Chicago Police Department. He opened with the Paschal proclamation, “Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!” and emphasized the Christian hope found in the Resurrection.
Speaking directly to mourners, Metr. Nathanael said, “We proclaim this not as a custom or mere religious slogan, but because the Resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything — even the way we stand before death itself.”
He offered words of comfort regarding the pain surrounding the officer’s death while urging the faithful to cling to hope amid sorrow. His Eminence also stated, “For it is precisely in moments of grief and sorrow that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ ceases to be a distant religious idea and becomes the very hope by which we endure the suffering of this life.”
“Love is a doorway and an invitation to wounded life,” Metr. Nathanael said, explaining that deep love inevitably makes people vulnerable to pain and loss. Officer Bartholomew’s death was presented as evidence not only that others loved him, but that “John loved us.”
"And perhaps this is the deepest meaning of John’s final witness," His Eminence stated. "John did not lose his life while fleeing danger. He gave his life while serving another human being — even one capable of violence against him."
Metr. Nathanael's full eulogy can be found here. The funeral service for Officer Bartholomew can be viewed here and here.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Nathanael issued a statement on the Chicago hospital shooting.
