With particular splendor, in accordance with the long-standing ecclesiastical order and tradition, on Monday, September 1, 2025, the beginning of the Indiction – the ecclesiastical New Year – and the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos of Pammakaristos, whose sacred icon is preserved in the Patriarchal Church, were celebrated at the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Since 1989, the Mother Church has also dedicated this day to prayer for the protection of the natural environment.
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by the Hierarchs Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, Elder Metropolitan Dimitrios of the Princes’ Islands, Panteleimon of Bryoula, Ezekiel of Dervi, Meliton of Philadelphia, Seraphim of Sebasteia, Chrysostomos of Myra, Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, Athanasios of Colonia, Theodoritos of Laodicea, Theoleptos of Iconium, Andreas of Arkalochori, Kastelli and Vianos, Athenagoras of Belgium, Ilarion of Winnipeg, Paisios of Leros, Kalymnos and Astypalaia, Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos, Elpidophoros of America, Sebastianos of Atlanta, Athenagoras of Kydonia, Maximos of Silivria, Apostolos of New Jersey, Chrysostomos of Trikki, Gardiki and Pyli, Bartholomew of Smyrna, Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, Myron of New Zealand, Maximos of Switzerland, Iakovos of Ireland, Andreas of Forty Churches, Ioakeim of Prusa, Theodoros of Seleucia, and Iakovos of Mexico.
In his Message, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasizes that the Ecumenical Patriarchate not only highlighted the seriousness of environmental problems promptly but also focused attention on their causes and roots, proposing solutions based on the Orthodox Eucharistic and ascetic ethos.
“Orthodoxy, as faith, divine worship, and worldly witness, embodies the eco-friendly form of Christianity. In this sense, the proclamation of the feast of the Indiction as a Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment was not merely a reaction to the contemporary ecological crisis but a consequence and extension of the Church’s life as ‘applied ecology.’ From the outset, we proclaimed the indivisibility of respect for creation and the human person and highlighted the common root and interconnection of environmental and social problems. Separation from God generates a possessive and exploitative attitude toward creation and fellow human beings, whereas life in Christ and according to Christ is a source of environmental sensitivity and philanthropic action.”
At another point in his Message, the Patriarch notes: “The Ecumenical Patriarchate, together with the struggle for peace, justice, and solidarity, will continue to lead in the protection of nature, in bringing ecological issues to the forefront of inter-Christian and interfaith dialogue, and in highlighting the significance of Christian eco-friendly principles and traditions within the framework of international institutions, ecological organizations, scientific institutions, and civil society. We are confident that cooperation in the field of ecology strengthens the sense of shared responsibility for the path toward the future and creates new, favorable prospects.
Returning to what we stated in our previous Message, we again call upon the dioceses of the Mother Church around the world, the parishes, and the holy monasteries to develop coordinated actions and specific initiatives to mobilize the faithful, with particular emphasis on the education of the new generation. The practical application of the ecological implications of our faith constitutes a decisive dimension of our Orthodox identity.”
In attendance were Archbishop Nektarios of Anthedon, Commissioner of the Holy Sepulchre in the City; Bishops Adrianos of Halicarnassus, Kassianos of Arabissos, Benjamin of Tralleis, Smaragdos of Daphnousia, and Paisios of Xanthoupolis; clergy; Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Ioannis Loverdos, as representative of the Greek Government; the Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, Greek Consul General in the City; and faithful from the City, Greece, and other countries.
At the conclusion, the customary Indiction ceremony took place, during which the Patriarch read the prescribed prayer and the Act of the new Indiction. The Ecumenical Patriarch then signed the relevant text in the Codex of the Great Church, followed sequentially by all the attending Metropolitans and Archbishops.
Find below the full text of the Patriarchal Message:
Prot. No. 605
† Bartholomew
By the Mercy of God
Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch
Grace, Peace, and Mercy unto the Plenitude of the Church
From the Fashioner of All Creation
Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ
* * *
Most honorable brother Hierarchs and blessed children in the Lord,
By the good pleasure of God the giver of all, we embark today upon a new ecclesiastical year, glorifying His heavenly name for the uninterrupted and bounteous fruitfulness of the initiatives of His Holy Great Church in the field of creation’s protection. The Ecumenical Patriarchate not only highlighted the seriousness of environmental issues from an early stage, but also focused attention on their foundational causes—which are inner, spiritual, and moral—and proposed solutions based on an Orthodox eucharistic and ascetic ethos.
Orthodoxy, in her faith, divine worship, and witness to the world is, one could say, the eco-friendly form of Christianity. Thus, the proclamation of the Feast of the Indiction as a day of prayer for the protection of the natural environment was not merely a reaction to the contemporary ecological crisis, but a natural extension of the Church’s life as “applied ecology.” From the beginning, we declared the inseparability of respect for creation and the human person, revealing the common root and interconnection of environmental and social problems. Alienation from God breeds a possessive and exploitative attitude and behavior toward creation and fellow human beings, while life in and according to Christ is a source of environmental sensitivity and philanthropic action. As the Lord said: “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, and a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17–18).
Respect for spiritual values sharpens our discernment of what is good and what must be done. Indifference toward the Transcendent and the “anthropomonism” that follows lead to the entrapment of the human being in the earthly, that is, to a shrinking of his freedom into pragmatic choices and decisions, always intertwined with superficial views of reality and with the identification of the good with “what happens to be useful.” The timely call for “ecological repentance”—beyond the call to remorse for the ecological damage already inflicted—and to a radical change in mindset and behavior toward creation, also points to the need to transcend the erroneous stance that upholds the view of the environmentally destructive “self-regulating economy” as the only path to development. This stance further fuels the naive belief in nature’s alleged ability to regenerate itself indefinitely, despite the human-induced burdens it suffers, such as the intensification of climate change and its devastating global consequences. Today, in addition to all this, is added the pandemonium of war cries, bombings, missiles and explosions, which drowns out the cry of the innocent victims of merciless violence and the groaning of creation. The future of life on our planet will either be ecological and peaceful—or nonexistent.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate, alongside its struggle for peace, justice, and solidarity, will continue to lead in protecting nature, upholding ecological themes as central issues in inter-Christian and interfaith dialogue, and promoting the significance of Christian eco-friendly principles and traditions within international institutions, environmental organizations, scientific foundations, and civil society. We are confident that cooperation in the field of ecology strengthens our sense of shared responsibility for the future and opens up new and favorable prospects.
Returning to what we stated in a previous Message, we once again call upon the Metropolises of the Mother Church around the world, parishes, and monasteries to develop coordinated actions and specific interventions to mobilize the faithful, with emphasis on educating the younger generation. Applying the ecological implications of our faith in practice is a defining aspect of our Orthodox identity.
In this spirit, we wish you all a blessed and fruitful ecclesiastical year in good and God-pleasing works. We call upon the children of the Holy Great Church of Christ across the globe to live in a true eco-friendly manner and in brotherly love, to pray for creation and for peace, to strive for the integrity of the natural environment and sustainability, and to cultivate a culture of solidarity. Through the intercession and protection of the Most Holy Theotokos Pammakaristos, we invoke upon you the life-giving grace and great mercy of the Almighty Creator and All-Merciful God of love.
Blessed Ecclesiastical Year, brothers and children in the Lord!
September 1, 2025
† Bartholomew of Constantinople
Fervent supplicant for all before God
Photographs: Nikos Papachristou
