On Earth As In Heaven: Ecological Vision and Initiatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

5. Prayer and Spirituality: Transfiguration and Sacrifice

5 Prayer and Spirituality Transfiguration and Sacrifice Conferences and Seminars Opening Ceremony, Ecological Symposium, Halki, Turkey, June ,  joint prayer and collective action As far as our most holy Orthodox Church is concerned, we have reasons to be very intensely concerned for the protection of the natural environment. This was demonstrated during the Inter-Orthodox Conference convened, at the initiative of our Throne, last November on the island of Crete, which Your Royal Highness1 also honored with your personal presence and active participation. These reasons, then, for our concern may be distinguished into two basic categories: There are theological reasons, reasons of faith; and there are also pastoral reasons, reasons of sensitivity toward the world, and to the mission and service of the Church in this world. As to the first category, namely the theological reasons, it is known that the Fathers of the Church always perceived salvation in Christ as relating not only to humanity, but through the human person also extending to all of creation. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the ‘‘recapitulation’’ of all of creation, according to the well-known saying of St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons in the second century.2 St. Maximus the Confessor, the 1. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 2. Irenaues (d. 202) was one of the earliest theologians and apologists of Christianity, with direct spiritual lineage to the apostolic community. 194 Prayer and Spirituality 兩 195 great seventh century theologian and Father of the Orthodox Church, was so insistent upon the importance of material creation in the whole divine plan of salvation that he saw the human person as a microcosm, and considered salvation in Christ as a ‘‘cosmic liturgy’’ within which all of material creation participates. Moreover, it is indicative of the faith of the Orthodox Church that, at the very epicenter of her life lies the divine Eucharist. This Eucharist is nothing else than a ‘‘liturgy,’’ namely a communal act of the people of God, wherein the faithful offer the gifts of creation, the bread and the wine, in order that these may be changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, and be returned in thanksgiving to the Creator. Orthodox Christians firmly believe that God not only created the material world, but that, through humans, the created world also has, as its destiny, the participation in the glory and eternal life of Christ. Consequently, the final purpose of creation is not its use or abuse for man’s individual pleasure, but something far more sublime and sacred. It is from these points, then, that the pastoral reasons for the Church’s concern for the natural environment also emanate. For us Orthodox, every destruction of the natural environment caused by humanity constitutes an offense against the Creator Himself and arouses a sense of sorrow. In relation to the degree to which people are responsible for their actions, metanoia—a radical change or course is demanded of us all. For this reason, each human act that contributes to the destruction of the natural environment must be regarded as a very serious sin. We are talking here about a renewed ethos, which must be taught to our faithful. Our faithful must become sensitized to the gravity of this sin and to the need to espouse a corresponding ethos. People must cease regarding themselves as proprietors of nature and understand their mission as priests of creation who have as their duty the anaphora, or offering up of the material world to the Creator. In this new ethos, the liturgical and the ascetic tradition of the Church can be of assistance to its faithful. Remarks at a Banquet in Honor of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Istanbul, Turkey, May ,  a common obligation It is with great joy and profound esteem that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in our humble person and on behalf of the Holy Synod, welcomes Your 196 兩 Prayer and Spirituality Royal Highness here today to this sacred Center of Orthodoxy. Your visit brings special honor to our Church here as well as to the entire Orthodox Church. We thank you for the effort that you so kindly incurred in order to come here, and for willingly responding to the invitation of our predecessor , Patriarch Dimitrios of blessed memory, which our Modesty very happily renewed. The bonds between Your Royal Highness and the Orthodox Church are old and deep. Deep and close, as well, are the bonds that for a long...