|
|
Published
by the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, September 1, 2004
Encyclical of Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew on the Ecclesiastical New Year and the
Preservation of the Environment
Protocol
no. 709
September 1, 2004
BARTHOLOMEW
BY THE MERCY OF GOD
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE,
NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
TO THE ENTIRE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH
GRACE AND PEACE FROM THE CREATOR
OF THE WHOLE OF CREATION
OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST
Beloved Brothers and Children in the Lord,
Fifteen years ago, our venerable predecessor, the
late Patriarch Demetrios issued the first official
decree for the preservation of the natural
environment, an encyclical letter to the pleroma
of the Church, formally establishing September 1st
as a day of prayer for the protection of the
environment. That historical proclamation
emphasized the significance of the eucharistic and
the ascetic ethos of our tradition, which provide
a corrective for a consumer lifestyle and an
alternative to the prevailing philosophy of our
age.
The Church Fathers have always insisted on the
critical importance of self-examination as a
pre-condition for spiritual growth. Echoing the
classical oracle of Delphi, Clement of Alexandria
exhorts: “Know yourself! If you know yourself, you
will know all things.” Evagrius of Pontus states:
“He who knows himself knows God.” And Isaac the
Syrian claims: “To know oneself is to know one’s
failures, which leads to the resurrection of the
dead.” Therefore, let us consider what we have
learned as a Church over the last fifteen years.
What knowledge have we gained? What failures have
we experienced? And what direction should we now
assume?
In the five summer seminars that were held
annually from 1994-1998 at the Theological School
on the Island of Halki, we learned about the close
connections between environmental issues and
education, ethics, communication, justice, and
poverty. And in the five international symposia
held biannually from 1995 to date, we have
explored the impact of our wasteful lifestyle on
the waters of the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea, the
Danube River, the Adriatic Sea, and the Baltic Sea.
Together with theologians, scientists, politicians
and journalists, we recognized in a tangible
manner the responsibility that we all bear -
before one another, before our world, and before
our God - for the destruction of our world’s
natural beauty, for the depletion of the earth’s
resources, and for the devastation of our planet’s
diversity.
More especially, we have appreciated how the
preservation of the natural environment is
intimately related to the cessation of warfare, to
the restoration of social justice and to the
management of world poverty. We have learned how
the way that we treat human beings is directly
reflected in the way that we relate to the natural
environment, as well as to the worship that we
exclusively reserve for God. It should come as no
surprise to us that we are able to misuse the
natural and material creation when we are able to
abuse our fellow-human beings. The Mother Church
has been at the forefront of significant
gatherings and agreements of world peace and
welfare, of economic and social reform, of human
rights and religious tolerance.
When it comes to the appropriate response and the
proper theological reflection, there is no doubt
that our Orthodox Church has a great deal to
contribute to the contemporary debate concerning
ecology. We are able to draw upon the depth and
wealth of our Scriptural and Patristic heritage in
order to contribute positively and constructively
to the critical issues of our time. Where, however,
as Orthodox Christians we reveal the greatest
vulnerability is in the practice of our theory.
It is always the easier approach to lay blame on
Western development and technological progress for
the ills that we confront in our world. And it is
always a temptation to believe that we hold the
solution to problems that we all face today or
else to ignore the imminent danger that we face
globally. What is more difficult - and yet at the
same time more noble - is to discern the degree to
which we constitute part of the problem itself.
Just how many of us examine the foods that we
consume, the goods that we purchase, the energy
that we waste, or the consequences of our
privileged living? How often do we take the time
to scrutinize the choices that we make on a daily
basis, whether as individuals, as institutions, as
parishes, as communities, as societies, and even
as nations?
More importantly, just how many of our Orthodox
clergy are prepared to assume leadership on issues
concerning the environment? How many of our
Orthodox parishes and communities are prepared to
materialize the knowledge that we have accumulated
in recent years by practicing
ecologically-sensitive principles in their own
communities? How do the decisions of any local
community and parish reflect on a practical and
tangible level the experience that we have gained
on a theoretical level?
In an age when the information is readily
available to us, there is surely no excuse for
ignorance or indifference. To overlook is to shut
our eyes to a reality that is ever-present and
ever-increasing. Former generations and cultures
may have been unaware of the implications of their
actions. Nevertheless, today, more perhaps than
any other time or age, we are in a unique position.
Today, we stand at a crossroads, namely at a point
of choosing the cross that we have to bear. For,
today, we know fully well the ecological and
global impact of our decisions and actions,
irrespective of how minimal or insignificant these
may be.
It is our sincere hope and fervent prayer that in
the years ahead, more and more of our Orthodox
faithful will recognize the importance of a
crusade for our environment, which we have so
selfishly ignored. This vision, we are convinced,
will only benefit future generation by leaving
behind a cleaner, better world. We owe it to our
Creator. And we owe it to our children.
May we be strengthened by God to make the right
decisions and may the grace and infinite mercy of
our Lord and God Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
|
