The Contribution of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Configuration of an Ecumenical “Integral Ecology”

AbstractThis contribution deals with the issue of the environment, which is centre stage in the ecumenical movement. The research focuses on environmental actions and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s interest in our common home (oikos). It is important that the Ecumenical Patriarch envisages ecology as an integral part of life, a perspective shared by Pope Francis. According to Patriarch Bartholomew, the ecological problem affects all humankind, and above all has a painful impact on the poor and the weak. The message of the Ecumenical Patriarch is one of solidarity and humanity for the marginalized and the poor. The eucharist, the vision of integral ecology, urges us to look after nature and people and fight against exploitation, poverty, and hunger. The Ecumenical Patriarch, from his view of ecology as integral, emphasizes that the environment is not an object for exploitation and expresses his concern for the lack of respect for both nature and people.