AN APPRAISAL OF PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

Vladika Lazar Puhalo' Fb post

 "I want to make a small tribute to His All Holiness again, and express what I feel were his actual major concerns in Crete. I am not a fan of Ecumenism. 

But from my reading, it does occur to me that His All Holiness sees a profound spiritual responsibility of true followers of Christ to be a defence of the earth's life support system. As I read his words, he feels that we have a profound moral and Christian responsibility to God's creation, most of all to future generations of humanity who could be destroyed by our present actions and indifference.

 A split and divided Christianity cannot put forth a meaningful defence of creation and of our children and their children. Moreover, our split and divided Christianity -- even an Orthodoxy split and divided along sheer political lines -- is also a dwindling Christianity (and a dwindling Orthodox population) is yielding ground to Islam, the fastest growing religion on earth. 

The second fastest growing group, with regard to religion, is non-religion: atheism and agnosticism. They are certainly not religions or belief systems, but rather the denial of religions and belief systems. But atheism and agnosticism are the fastest growing in nominally Christian cultures. 

However much one might disagree with the approach taken at Crete, it is my view that His All Holiness had (and has) the highest moral and Christian intentions and desires motivating his efforts. It seems to me that the Ecumenical Patriarch has an abiding care for the future of humanity, and that he is motivated by that care and love toward humanity, toward God's creation. 

I offer this only as my own point of view and understanding of the matter, and nothing more."