Today, Thursday, April 10, 2025, the John Templeton Foundation, in collaboration with the Templeton World Charity Foundation and the Templeton Religion Trust, announced that the recipient of the 2025 Templeton Prize is the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, the longest-serving Archbishop of the Apostolic Throne of Constantinople, is widely recognized, as noted in the Foundation’s official announcement, for “his pioneering efforts to bridge scientific and spiritual approaches to humanity’s relationship with the natural world, inspiring people of all faiths to become stewards of creation”.
Patriarch Bartholomew is internationally acclaimed for his groundbreaking contribution to ecological advocacy, interfaith dialogue, and peacebuilding efforts around the world. These include the unique “Religion, Science, and the Environment” symposia held aboard ships from the Amazon to the Arctic Ocean, his numerous ecumenical and interfaith initiatives within and beyond the Abrahamic traditions, and his sincere and courageous stance on matters of sovereignty and integrity in Ukraine and the pursuit of peace in the region.
On the occasion of this exceptionally prestigious award, the Ecumenical Patriarch issued the following statement:
“We accept with gratitude and humility this singular recognition, which reflects the philanthropic vision of Sir John Templeton, the remarkable founder of a global initiative investing in the human spirit and in the capacity of the human person to perceive and realize the potential of the Spirit.
This honor is not solely directed to our humble person, but also to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Apostolic See of St. Andrew the First-Called. For seventeen centuries, this Church of Saints and Martyrs, of Confessors and Theologians, has led the spiritual mission of teaching and transmitting the transformative Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world. We accept this unique honor in the name of this ministry to God and humanity.”
The Templeton Prize was first awarded in 1973 to Mother Teresa and has since been bestowed upon spiritual leaders such as Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as visionaries like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, King Abdullah II of Jordan, renowned environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall, and distinguished scientists and peacemakers from around the globe. The Ecumenical Patriarch will formally receive the Prize in New York in September 2025.
This marks the second major international recognition bestowed upon the Ecumenical Patriarch in a short period. It is worth recalling that, on March 17, 2025, the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of the Institut de France elected the Ecumenical Patriarch as a “foreign associate member” to the seat formerly held by the late Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger).
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
