June 19, 2007 

Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos Appointed to

The United States Commission on Civil Rights,

Illinois State Advisory Committee

(Chicago) - His Grace Bishop DEMETRIOS of Mokissos has been appointed to The United States Commission on Civil Rights, Illinois State Advisory Committee. Bishop Demetrios, Chancellor of the Metropolis of Chicago, is one of eighteen Illinois social advocates that were selected to comprise this worthy Committee. This two-year term is an honor for the Greek Orthodox community and a testament to the countless years of dedicated effort by Bishop Demetrios, as he has worked extensively within the areas of social justice and advocacy, building bridges of understanding and improving relationships.

In 1946, President Harry Truman appointed a bipartisan committee to determine a measure for effective protection of the civil rights of the people of the United States; this committee recommended the establishment of a Permanent Commission on Civil Rights. Over a ten year period both Presidents, Truman and Eisenhower, continued to recommend to Congress the establishment of the Commission, which was ultimately created by Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Since 1957, the Commission has been active in carrying out its mission: to advise the President and Congress of circumstances in which American citizens are being deprived of equal protection of laws because of color, race, religion , sex, national origin, age or disability.

In 1978, the Commission created 51 State Advisory Committees--one for each State, as well as for the District of Columbia. Each is composed of citizens familiar with local and State civil rights issues. The state level committee members assist the Washington D.C. Commission with its fact-finding, investigative, and information dissemination functions. The appointment to this committee is an uncompensated special government employee, and His Grace is now an officer of the executive branch of the Federal Government.

The Commission regularly provides to the public reports on the various issues that come before the Commission. In 2008, the Commission plans to study and collect information relating the issue of religious discrimination in Federal and State Prisons. The Commission will investigate the lack of religious services provided and the failure of prison officials to accommodate inmates’ religious needs. Bishop Demetrios has worked extensively in the State and Federal penal system with an unyielding commitment to sanctity of life, justice and humanity. Bishop Demetrios is a board member, and past two-term President (2003-2005) of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He has spoken and written extensively in support of abolition of the death penalty and has advocated extensively for individual death row inmates.