WCC news: Patriarch Bartholomew calls for global ecological solidarity

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew marked the beginning of the ecclesiastical year and the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment on 1 September with a message describing the ecological crisis as "a crisis of human freedom, of our religion and philosophy, of our ethos and our culture." He called on humanity to build a shared "body of common fundamental values" rooted in solidarity. 21 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 01 September 2026 The Ecumenical Patriarchate established the observance in 1989. Each year, more churches across the Christian world have taken it up, and the patriarch called this growth "a symbol and practical promotion of the unity of Christians." "Humanity must at last cease acting as though it does not know and definitively cast aside the illusion that planet Earth can in perpetuity withstand the burdens and destruction caused by human activity, or that nature has the power to renew itself of its own accord," the patriarch said. He called for "ecological responsibility" to be treated as "a categorical imperative," from the personal level to the global. The dominant model of human behaviour, he warned, is exemplified by the Gospel’s "foolish rich man" (Luke 12:17–21): it drives what he termed "geocide," consumerism, and the exploitation of nature for economic and geopolitical gain. In its place, he called for a "Copernican Turn" in how humanity understands progress and its relationship with creation. For the World Council of Churches (WCC), 1 September opens this year’s Season of Creation, themed "Living Water" and drawn from the Book of Ezekiel (47:9, 12). Running through 4 October, the season is part of the WCC’s Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025–2034), bringing together prayer and advocacy for water stewardship and climate justice worldwide. Read the message here Season of Creation 2026: Living Water WCC to join Season of Creation prayer amid climate extremes (News Release, 26 August) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland