His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was the keynote speaker at the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit in New York City. He delivered his keynote address on Monday, September 22, 2025, as his Apostolic Visit to the United States continued.
In his remarks, His All-Holiness stated: “Our presence in New York during these days is the result of the recognition afforded to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church of Constantinople and our humble person by the Templeton Foundation. And while it is gratifying that the environmental labors of our Patriarchy are acknowledged by such an esteemed Prize as Templeton, we cannot, and we will not, relent in our pursuit of environmental justice and responsibility throughout the entire global community, for this is what it means, in part, to be ecumenical in the first place.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch quoted a passage from the Book of Genesis: “And God formed the human being from dust of the Earth, and breathed into their nostrils the breath of life; and the human being became a living soul.”
His All-Holiness explained that “this sacred narrative demonstrates for all time that our relationship with our planet is intricate and that every human being, family, and society is inextricably linked through the physicality of shared world. Such a realization of our interdependence with our ‘Mother Earth’ should inform every major decision that affects Her health and prosperity. Moreover, we cannot divorce our concern and care for the environments in which we live, from the human beings with whom we share these environments.”
Read His All-Holiness’ full address here.
