Ecumenical Patriarch says religion offers unique perspective for easing world problems
[World Council of Churches] In an address before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Jan. 27, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke of how religion can provide a unique perspective in the objective to eradicate poverty and hunger, to address fundamentalism and racism, and to advance tolerance and dialogue.
“Churches and religious communities are not only pivotal in people’s personal or spiritual lives,” he said. “They also reserve a critical role in mobilizing institutions and societies on manifold levels.”
He also emphasized the urgency of protecting our planet. “We are convinced that what we do for the earth is intimately related to what we do for people, whether in the context of human rights, international politics, or world peace,” the ecumenical patriarch said. “In other words, the way we respond to climate change is intimately connected to the way we respond to human challenges.”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew serves as the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
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