The Ecumenical Patriarch for the protection of nature – Tribute for 35 years of Patriarchal ministrytranslated

On the occasion of the upcoming completion of 35 years since his election to the Ecumenical Patriarchal Throne, but also on September 1, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate has established since 1989 as a day of prayer for the protection of the natural environment, His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew talks about the timeless ecological initiative of the Patriarchate and man's relationship with God's creation. In his interview with Nikos Papachristou, His Holiness refers to his personal origins, which, as he explains, shaped his love for nature early on and formed the basis for the later intense ecological action of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

"The environment of my village, the environment of Imvrou, inspired me with love for God's creation, for nature, for the beauties of the natural environment," he notes characteristically. And he adds: "A beautiful wild flower can teach us a lot about God's wisdom, about His love for us humans, about His omnipotence and so on."

As he underlines, God's presence is perceived through creation itself: "Wherever one turns...