By His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis
A Global Initiative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
At the proposal of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, September 1st has been established by all Local Orthodox Churches as the day on which we call upon the three hundred million Orthodox faithful across our planet, as well as the rest of the world’s population, to pray to our Most High Creator.
We are called to realize our moral responsibilities for the protection of our Planet, the Environment, our lives, the future of our children, and our very survival.
Modern Threats: From the Greenhouse Effect to the Climate Crisis
One of the most threatening problems for modern humanity is atmospheric pollution caused by exhaust gases from factories, automobiles, and all types of mechanical machinery. According to scientific experts, these are the causes of acid rain and many other harmful consequences that are not yet visible. The long-term consequences of the “ozone hole” could also prove disastrous, causing new carcinogenic diseases and other harmful phenomena through the destruction of our natural protection against the sun’s rays.
The two aforementioned problems lead to the greenhouse effect, the gradual increase in our Planet’s average temperature, and sudden, extreme climate changes resulting in disastrous catastrophes. If we continue to increase various pollutants, our planet will develop into an unventilated greenhouse, where ongoing warming will lead to decay and death. Already, the uncontrolled pollutants of our time have significantly led to water pollution. The dumping of waste into seas and rivers was our great sin, at the very moment we believed we had reached Heaven through the Industrial Revolution.
Solutions for Salvation: Clean Energy Sources and Reforestation
Only through non-polluting energy sources can we cope with the problem of destruction, by utilizing water, wind, and the sun. Energy sources that cause pollution must be abolished. Reforestation and the protection of forests and Oceans contribute to the natural absorption of carbon dioxide from the vast amount of pollutants, while simultaneously emitting oxygen. Unfortunately, with the rise in average temperature, destructive forest fires are increasing, and the commitment to reforestation is not meeting expectations.
Therefore, initiatives for the reforestation of all recently burned areas must be supported by all of us and become the personal responsibility of each individual. Unfortunately, the same is happening with the continuous pollution of our oceans, due to the ongoing absence of a strong, international, and legally binding framework for their protection.
Church, UN, and Youth: An Alliance of Hope Against Climate Change
The now-historic decision of the Orthodox Church during the proceedings of the Holy and Great Council in Crete in 2016 for the protection of the Environment can become even more significant when cooperation begins at all levels of the life of the Orthodox Churches. We need initiatives and programs to protect Humanity and our Planet from existing ecological disasters and the dangers of self-destruction.
Humanity awaits with great anxiety the implementation of the historic UN agreement on Climate Change achieved in Paris in 2015 (COP21) with the participation of 196 States. The daily ecological protests, marches, and anxieties of our children and youth provide well-founded hopes for dynamic decisions, through the adoption of ecological legislation at international and national levels to enforce the Paris Global Agreement.
Man as the Steward of Creation: The Biblical Command of Genesis
Gradually, September 1st has now been established as a day of prayer by all Christians, so that we may pray for God to help us protect the Environment and His entire Creation. What humans failed to destroy for thousands of years, the generations of recent decades have achieved. The danger of our Planet turning into a dangerous, unventilated greenhouse has now become a visible threat to us all. We are not far from the possibility of a slow death, like plants in a closed greenhouse that gradually wither, dry up, and die.
Only when man accepts the teaching of our Church that God is the Creator of all things can he truly love the entire Creation and protect it. Man, as the crown of God’s Creation, holds a special place on our Planet. He is called by God to continue the work of divine Creation and, at the same time, to cultivate and keep it; that is, to care for it, protect it, advance it, and work for its survival. Thus, in the first book of the Holy Bible, Genesis, God calls the first man, Adam, to give names to the animals and birds. This symbolic biblical reference precisely demonstrates our responsibilities for the protection of nature.
The Ecological Problem as the “Reason of the House” of God
To naturally respect God’s creation, we must realize that everything in the world belongs to the God who created it. Consequently, we humans are by no means its owners, but His trustees and stewards. This creates a sense of awe and deep respect in our relationship with nature. We realize that we have a serious and responsible role to play in protecting the Environment, which is directly related to the proper respect we all owe to our Creator.
For this reason, the Ecological Problem is directly related to the “reason of the House” (logos of the oikos) of God (oikos – logike / ecology). Thus, the entire Creation, the Environment, our Planet, and everything that exists upon it, is the broader house of God. Man, as an integral part of this house, must protect its dignity and his human rights in every way, just as he must protect every other part of Creation. By doing so, we manifest our special respect for the Person of the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Under no circumstances should man create conflict or confrontation with the Environment in which he lives. We must not fall victim again to the arrogance of past centuries, of colonialism, and of the frantic industrial revolution, where many viewed nature as an enemy to be plundered, conquered, and brutally violated, turning it through the holocaust of the two World Wars into a vast cemetery for which we still mourn with profound pain of soul.
Organic Relationship, Social Justice, and Human Rights
Christian teaching approaches the relationship between humans and nature through a perspective where reconciliation and coexistence are preserved. Our Church does not view the Environment as an adversary, but as a reality with which we share an organic relationship and to which we ourselves belong. We realize that by protecting Nature, we protect ourselves and secure a safe path for our survival.
As Christians who follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we must all respond to our great ecological responsibilities to save our Planet. This great, peaceful battle begins with the degree to which we are prepared to fight courageously for the prevalence of justice in the world, as the only means that will lead us to the true peace of God. The protection of human rights where we face armed conflicts, social injustices, and an absence of democratic institutions is a decisive step. The reconciliation of humans and the peaceful coexistence of peoples begins with the implementation of social justice.
The “Feast of Creation” and the Global Debt for Ecological Repentance
In conclusion, it has now become clear that the salvation of the Environment requires a sincere ecological repentance from all of us. We must realize our ecological sins, as environmental disasters are the direct result of our negative activities. In this spiritual and practical awakening, the Christian ecumene moves dynamically forward through the institution of the “Season of Creation.” This period begins on September 1st with the “Feast of Creation,” a leading initiative embraced by millions of believers worldwide, in which I have the honor to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee.
At the same time, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is undertaking a historic initiative by declaring the “Decade for Climate Justice and Ecological Repentance.” This global campaign is coordinated by the WCC Commission for Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, in which I have the highest responsibility and blessing to actively participate as one of the Commissioners. Through this institutional role, we join forces with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who ceaselessly proclaims that “the destruction of creation is an offense against the Creator,” as well as with Pope Francis (continuing the legacy of Pope Leo), the Anglicans, the Lutherans, and all the world’s religions that demand justice for the planet.
Meanwhile, diplomacy and science are sounding the alarm. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns that “a world in climate chaos cannot be a world in peace,” while the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) calls for immediate action, confirming the positions of Nobel Laureate scientists such as William Nordhaus. September 1st calls upon us to attune ourselves to this global ecclesial and international summons, to change our daily way of life, and to actively participate in tackling the problems that threaten the Environment, so that our planet and ultimately humanity itself may be protected.