Rite and Reason: His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, writes about the environment, ecumenism, and how Orthodox believers came to the West
There are those who believe that the Christian Church only cares for life beyond death. The truth is that, though of course it does primarily devote itself to humanity and its eternal salvation, the church is also concerned with life on this earth and with all creation.
The church cherishes all of creation because God put man in terrestrial paradise "to dress it and keep it", deriving the necessities for life from his "dressing" nature, thus causing it to produce the goods that are useful. Therefore, nature does not remain entirely pristine, unaltered by man's activities, nor does it have equal value with man, as some would maintain.
Nature is an instrument for his use, and a property for his usufruct.
But in respect of this use, God has posed certain limits for people, that they ought not overstep. These limits are implicit in the "keeping", which means "not ravaging". Therefore, human's "dressing" of creation must not be destructive, but must revitalise and assist nature.
People must help nature to produce and to renew itself. In other words, they must preserve unharmed its productive and revitalising forces.
This duty remained for many centuries beyond the scope of careful study, because the harmful effects of human intervention upon nature had not become widespread.
But in recent times as modern technology and heavy industry, with its pollutants, brought about disasters and environmental pollution, people of uncommon sensibility and perspicacity felt the need to react and to draw everybody's attention to the dangers that imperil humanity.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate and we personally support and sustain the effort to cause governments, industry, and ordinary people to become aware of the need to preserve the natural environment and ecosystems of our planet, so as to keep it alive and in good health, that it may continue to yield its fruit in a sustainable manner.
To this end, impelled by love of humanity rather than as under bondage to nature, we do our utmost, as far as it is possible, to engage in relevant actions. With the past presidents of the European Commission we have jointly held a number of environmental symposiums in the Aegean and the Black Sea, on the Danube, in the Adriatic and the Baltic Sea.
We have held several summer seminars in Halki on environmental issues. We have participated in a great number of environmental conferences all over the world. We have designated September 1st of each year as a day of prayer for the environment. And we have often spoken and written of our duty to "keep" the environment.
We believe that these common efforts engaged in by all who are concerned over the environment will improve the situation and avert major environmental disasters, and make a contribution towards restoring to health certain areas of the planet that have been damaged or are at risk.
That is what we hope for with all our heart so that, according to the wishes of God who is good, man's life on earth may be better. May it be so.
The Orthodox Church emerged in the West mainly on account of the people emigrating there from Eastern lands that were traditionally Orthodox. For several centuries it numbered only a few in the West, but after communism prevailed in Russia, there were waves of Orthodox fugitives fleeing to the West.
Nationalist and political purges in various Middle East countries also forced many Orthodox from those countries to seek refuge in the West.
Finally the post-World War II wave of emigration brought hundreds of thousands, even millions of Orthodox to European countries, America and Australia. They all formed communities and churches on the basis of national and linguistic criteria.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate is responsible for Orthodox Christians outside the boundaries of local Orthodox churches - in accordance with the sacred canons governing the Orthodox Church - and has set up dioceses in Europe, America, and Australia for the pastoral care of the Orthodox diaspora.
Present-day Christians of every confession and church do not feel they are to blame for their fragmentation, with the exception of the new, divergent groups of Protestants that are established on an almost daily basis, without dependence on any traditional Christian church.
Present day Christians feel closer to one another despite the differences between their churches, and surely they would hear a way has been found to transcend their inherited divisions with great joy and satisfaction. This feeling, which we should perhaps better call "a demand", is the source of ecumenical efforts.
The Orthodox Church participates actively in all unifying efforts, for it is convinced that we can and should always have before us the intercessory prayer of Our Lord Jesus Christ "that they [ the faithful] may be one".
We believe furthermore that the best path toward union is to start at the point where we were when the divisions occurred: from the common faith of all the Christians in the first centuries of Christianity up to the schism.
The Orthodox Church is willing and ready to contribute to the unity of all the churches and is open to all useful, well-meaning discussion.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians, paid a first ever visit to Ireland by a holder of that office last week. The above is an edited version of his responses to questions from The Irish Times.