The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the importance of the role of religions in the modern world on Sunday, November 5, 2023, in his official speech at the World Policy Conference, held in Abu Dhabi.
Addressing the large audience at the conference, he pointed out, among other things, that in our world, which is currently threatened by fragmentation, religions can offer hope for unity, and stressed that their mediating role could facilitate dialogue between economically, politically, and culturally diverse worlds. The Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the multidimensional crises testing humanity, making particular reference to the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the ministry and work of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as to its long experience of coexistence and dialogue with both Judaism and Islam, which is an advantage for the Christian world, and, more generally, to the positive role that religions can play in the issue of environmental protection and the prevalence of peace in the world.
The Ecumenical Patriarch’s speech was delivered in the context of the 16th Thematic Session of the Conference, which was chaired by Mr. Thierry de Montbrial, Founder of the WPC, and also featured speeches by Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders, and Haim Korsia, Chief Rabbi of France.
In the evening of the same day, the Patriarch and his entourage attended a dinner hosted in their honor by the Ambassador of Turkey to the United Arab Emirates, Tugay Tunçer, at the Embassy Residence.
The Ecumenical Patriarch’s speech is published HERE
