The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent a letter of support to the President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarela, in which He expressed the sympathy and support of the Mother Church to the people of Sardinia, who are suffering from catastrophic fires.
The Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out in his letter that the fragility of the natural environment is a result of the wrong choices and greed of man, who, he added, is still trying to understand the relationship between our very existence and the protection of our Home.
He recalled that, since the late 1980s, the Orthodox Church, head of which is the Ecumenical Patriarchate, has emphasized the need to protect the natural environment, highlighting the spiritual and moral dimension of the issue, in the context of man’s relationship with God and His Creation.
The Ecumenical Patriarch noted the interdependence of the natural environment and humanity, which, as he emphasized, is responsible for the world that will be passed on to future generations. He added that if we fail to convey the message that today’s people are the rulers and not the absolute rulers of our blue planet, we will be forced to suffer more and more often natural disasters that will strike the world.
Concluding his letter to the President of the Italian Republic, the Ecumenical Patriarch reiterated that the Ecumenical Patriarchate prays that the catastrophic fires be extinguished as soon as possible, but also that the Creator strengthens those who fight to save the natural environment of beautiful Sardinia.
It is reminded, on the occasion, that the Patriarch and the President have very friendly relations, and the President has awarded Patriarch Bartholomew the highest medal of the Italian Republic.