Ahead of the 35th anniversary of his election to the Ecumenical Patriarchal Throne, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about the ecological initiatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with particular reference to 1 September, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate has dedicated since 1989 to prayer for the protection of the natural environment.
The Ecumenical Patriarch first referred to his special relationship with nature, which, as he noted, was cultivated during his childhood in Imbros.
“The environment of my village, the environment of Imbros, inspired in me a love for God’s creation, for nature and for the beauty of the natural environment,” he said. He added that even “a beautiful wildflower” can teach people much about God’s wisdom and love.
The Ecumenical Patriarch then spoke about the ecological legacy he received from his predecessor of blessed memory, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios, who established 1 September as a day dedicated to prayer for the protection of the environment.
“When I took up from my predecessor of blessed memory, Patriarch Demetrios, the work and effort to promote the environment and the need to respect and protect it, I did so with great willingness and joy,” he said.
His All-Holiness referred to the initiatives undertaken by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, including conferences for young people in Halki, as well as international interfaith and interdisciplinary symposia held on board ships. These initiatives, he said, constituted “a living witness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate” to the need to respect and protect God’s creation.
“It is not possible to claim that, on the one hand, we love and respect God while, on the other, we destroy the creation that came forth from His divine hands,” he stressed.
The Ecumenical Patriarch underlined that the ecological crisis, which concerns all humanity, is not merely a political or economic issue. It is also, he explained, an “ethical, theological, spiritual and social” issue.
Referring to humanity’s relationship with nature, His All-Holiness noted that modern people often exploit it selfishly, seeking not only what is necessary but also additional goods that satisfy their ambitions and desires.
“We are stewards of nature, not its owners,” he said, referring to the biblical command given to the first humans to guard and protect Paradise. “We belong to the world, and the world does not belong to us,” he added.
The Ecumenical Patriarch also connected human greed and the excessive exploitation of nature with floods, wildfires and other natural disasters.
“If we overstep the limits and go to extremes, sooner or later we human beings pay the price,” he said, adding: “Nature takes its revenge on us.”
Concluding, His All-Holiness emphasised the need for the active participation of young people in protecting the natural environment. He noted that previous generations, despite lacking theoretical knowledge, respected and protected nature in their daily lives.
“The mobilisation of young people is certainly necessary so that the tradition of our fathers and ancestors may continue—those who, despite their limited formal education and theoretical knowledge, practically respected and protected nature in their daily lives,” he concluded.
