In his address at the climate change conference organized by the Region of North Aegean on the afternoon of September 6, 2024, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized the extensive ecological initiatives and actions undertaken by the Ecumenical Patriarchate over the past four decades.
The Ecumenical Patriarch highlighted the pivotal role of the Great Church of Christ in mobilizing the Christian world and integrating ecological issues into ecumenical dialogues. He also recalled that the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s establishment of September 1 as Indiction Day—a day dedicated to prayer for the natural environment—has been embraced by various Christian Churches and inter-Christian organizations worldwide.
He emphasized that the Great Church of Christ extended its appeal beyond Christians to include all religions and people of goodwill, calling for a united effort to safeguard the integrity of creation.
“The ecological witness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has prompted theological inquiry into the deeper spiritual, religious, and moral dimensions of environmental issues, while emphasizing the ecophilic aspects of Christian anthropology and cosmology.
Theologically, the destruction of the natural environment is seen as an extension of humanity’s tragic estrangement from God—’sin’—which profoundly impacts human self-awareness, relationships with others, and the connection between humanity and nature.
Orthodox theology was pioneering in highlighting the cosmological dimensions and consequences of sin in our time. It is clear that Orthodoxy’s commitment to the protection of creation did not emerge merely as a response to the contemporary ecological crisis.
This was an opportunity for the Church to articulate, expand, and promote its ecophilic principles. The current ecological crisis was a catalyst, not the origin, of the Church’s environmental care and witness.
The protection of the natural environment is a natural extension of the Church’s experience, reflecting its deep-seated ecological ethos and integral connection to all aspects of its life. Church life is ‘applied ecology’.
The Church itself represents a triumph over ideologies and practices that foster eco-destructive tendencies, such as self-centeredness, greed, and indifference to others and future generations.”
In his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized his commitment to continue environmental protection efforts, particularly focusing on raising awareness among the younger generation.
At the conference, speeches were delivered by former President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, and Professors Stamatios Krimizis and Christos Zerefos, the President and Secretary General of the Academy of Athens, respectively. Additionally, other experts and notable figures contributed to the discussion, with the Regional Governor of the North Aegean, Konstantinos Moutzouris, also addressing the event.
