[a] Bartholomew was born as Dimitrios Arhondonis (Greek: Δημήτριος Αρχοντώνης, Dimítrios Archontónis), in the village of Agios Theodoros (officially called Zeytinliköy) on the island of Imbros (later renamed Gökçeada by the Turkish government).

Later, he served as Metropolis of Philadelphia and Chalcedon and he became a member of the Holy Synod as well as other committees, prior to his enthronement as Patriarch.

[22][23] Dimitrios Arhondonis was born in the village of Agioi Theodoroi on the island of Imbros (now Gökçeada, Turkey), son of Christos and Meropi Archodónis (née Skarlatos), both of Greek descent.

On 13 August 1961, he was ordained deacon and in the years 1961–1963 completed military service in the Turkish army with the rank of sublieutenant.

[25][26] He has also gained a reputation as a prominent environmentalist, putting the support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate behind various international environmental causes.

[32] He has also been honoured with the Congressional Gold Medal,[33] the highest award which may be bestowed by the Legislative Branch of the United States government.

In an interview published on 19 November 2006 in the daily newspaper Sabah, Bartholomew I addressed the issues of religious freedom and the then upcoming papal trip of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey.

The pope participated in the feast day services of St. Andrew the First Apostle, the patron saint of the Church of Constantinople.

It was the first time that the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians had attended a papal inauguration since the Great Schism in 1054.

In response to revoking a legal binding letter, the Russian Orthodox Church announced it was cutting ties of communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which marked the beginning of the 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism.

[45] In 2022, the Ecumenical Patriarchate accepted the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid into communion, recognised North Macedonia as a canonical jurisdiction.

[48] In Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I's opinion he says "This is the theology that the sister Church of Russia began to teach, trying to justify an unjust, unholy, unprovoked, diabolical war against a sovereign and independent country – Ukraine".

[60] On 6 October 2024, Patriarch Bartholomew I received a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa from The University of Notre Dame Australia in recognition of his inspiring work to unify contemporary society.

The AJC honor recognizes Bartholomew I's singular care for humanity and the environment, exceptional commitment to interreligious coexistence, and indispensable advancement of Orthodox-Jewish relations.