Pat. Bartholomew Cites Ecology as Justification for OCU 'Autocephaly'
Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: Concordia
NEW YORK — At the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit on September 23, 2025, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople offered a new perspective on the 2019 decision to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, connecting it to environmental concerns.
He stated, “We observe the fragile balance of Earth’s ecosystems, disrupted by rising temperatures that devastate life at every level.”
Patriarch Bartholomew explained, “The Ecumenical Patriarchate’s dedication to environmental stewardship is inseparable from our support for the Ukrainian people’s freedom and self-determination, which led us to grant autocephaly to their Orthodox Church in 2019.”
He underscored the interconnectedness of environmental and human welfare, saying, “Caring for the land without respecting its inhabitants, or honoring people without preserving the land they depend on, is a folly that plagues humanity as much today as ever.”
Previously, Patriarch Bartholomew had informed former President Trump that the Tomos was granted to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine due to Russia’s hostility toward Ukraine.
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